Cheese & Grain unveils ambitious £1.6million plan to extend the venue

THE Cheese & Grain has launched an ambitious £1.6million plan to improve facilities at the popular venue. 

The proposal would see a new building at the rear to house improved rehearsal spaces and editing suites, a new entrance lobby and improvements to the market yard car park area to make the best of Frome’s riverside. 

The Cheese & Grain want to hear residents’ views about its plans to further develop the venue. They say that funding is still to be secured but it won’t come from local taxes and that, if built, the new facilities will produce enough revenue to cover running costs. 

The proposal is to build between the Canoe Club and the rear of the Cheese & Grain ‘tower’. The new building will house rehearsal spaces, editing suites, a lift large enough for a grand piano and a third wheelchair-accessible washroom.  

Cheese & Grain director, Steve Macarthur, told the Frome Times, “We think the costs will be £1.6million plus VAT, but it’s important to emphasise that this money isn’t going to come from local taxes.  We recognise that this money isn’t going to be easy to raise, and perhaps it might prove a ‘bridge too far,’ but targets include central government “levelling up” funds, the Arts Council and the Big Lottery. The plan still needs planning permission and even if we were given the money today, it would still be more than a year before any work could start.” 

Explaining the reasoning behind the plan, Steve said, “The existing recording studio at the rear of the venue is used by internationally famous artists, but this can make it difficult for local artists to book time. 

“So, a priority now is for much cheaper ‘dry hire’ spaces that can be used without a house engineer or producer, which will appeal to local up-and-coming artists. The new extension is also needed for the Cheese & Grain training schemes.” 

Steve says that the venue had “lost momentum over the Covid lockdown,” but it’s now looking to build up its role in training local people in a range of music industry skills, including sound engineering and stage lighting, logistics, hospitality and marketing.   

“The music industry is growing in the West Country and it’s important to ensure that the coming work and careers are available to local people,” he said. 

“The aim is also to smarten up the riverside wall of the building and put in an additional entrance/exit because, with increasing ticket sales, the café/bar foyer gets very congested. We want this development to add to the rejuvenation and improvement of the market yard car park area and to make the best of Frome’s riverside. 

It will also mean that messy and noisy recycling and waste management and beer deliveries will be moved indoors. 

“The Cheese & Grain has still to find the money for the project, although once built, like the front of house rebuild and recording studio, it will produce enough income to cover its running cost and the cost of new apprenticeships,” added Steve. 

“Neither the Somerset Council nor Frome Town Council will be asked for money to build or run the extension, but both councils support the scheme and will help in every way possible with advice, permissions, providing space for a builder’s yard and with bids for external funding.” 

Local architect, Richard Swann, is developing a concept design for the site. Richard was responsible for the design of the major Cheese & Grain front-of-house renovation in 2013 and the recording studio in 2018. 

Anyone wanting to comment or get more information should email steve.macarthur@cheeseandgrain.com and the venue will send out an information pack on the proposals and how to comment on, and influence, its purpose and design. 

The Cheese & Grain is run by a local charity as a not-for-profit social enterprise. Its board is elected annually by members. Membership is free and open to anyone who lives or works in Frome and surrounding villages. Membership is about owning and controlling the project, not using it and everyone is welcome to come to its events, hire the hall and meeting rooms and visit its café/bar, which is open every day.  

For more information about the Cheese & Grain visit www.cheeseandgrain.com