Former Shoe Zone at the heart of developer’s plans for co-living space solution

The former Shoe Zone building in the Market Place could be turned into a co-living space as a local developer seeks permission from Somerset Council to move forward with the project.   

The Shoe Zone store closed in 2017 and the building has been on the market for several years. The site has been a source of controversy, particularly due to rough sleepers sheltering in the porch area, which has since been boarded up to prevent further use. More recently, the building’s front was decorated with a graphic of Frome to deter vandalism.  

In a bid to offer ‘more affordable’ rental options for young people in Frome, a local developer, Vernon Estates, has submitted plans to convert the upper floors into a co-living space.

“The reason no one has bought it is because it’s very difficult to make it financially viable,” explained the director of Vernon Estates, Freddie Vernon.  “My idea is to convert the upper floors of the Shoe Zone building to a high-quality, 12-bedroom co-living space. All residents would have their own double bedroom and en-suite bathroom, with a communal kitchen and living areas. It would be furnished, with all bills included. Residents would also have a dedicated bicycle store and communal areas would be cleaned regularly as part of the rent.  

 “It’s a form of accommodation that works well in Bath and other areas and I think it would be a great addition for the younger people of Frome, who need more affordable accommodation. It’s a much-needed, cheaper alternative to renting a flat!  

 “I have friends in Frome who can’t afford to rent a one-bedroom flat. The market is absolutely crazy, prices are through the roof and there’s barely anything on the market. At the bottom end, for a one-bed, you are looking at a minimum of about £1,000 a month after bills and tax, which is ridiculous. I have a few friends that are lodgers but don’t enjoy sharing a bathroom with their live-in landlord.”  

The Change of Use planning application is currently under review by Somerset Council’s planning committee.   

Cllr Michael Dunk has commented on the application on Somerset Council’s planning portal, raising concerns about the ‘cramming’ of 12 rooms in the space. “I suspect this is the way of making the most possible money from the rental income,” he commented. 

“Assuming that the layout complies with fire regulations, I am bound to comment that there is only one communal kitchen and that is on the first floor. I don’t pretend to know what is normal in a large house of multiple occupation (HMO) such as this but this arrangement cannot be at all convenient to the residents of the second floor and attic.”  

Cllr Dunk also raised concerns about the residents’ bins being left out in a prominent space in the town centre and said he was interested to see what Frome Town Council and the Civic Society would have to say in relation to this.  

 A manager of a neighbouring hotel has also raised concerns about the noise disturbance that the construction of the development might have on the hotel’s guests.   

The general manager said, “We have two rooms that directly back onto the building and if building works were to commence early on a morning until later on in an evening, this could cause us some issues leading to complaints from our guests. If we were to perhaps block out the two rooms, which isn’t an option, this will cause us a great loss in revenue and could potentially lose us from guests staying with us in the future.”  

 In the plans, Freddie suggests leaving the ground floor available for business space.   

He said, “I am looking forward to speaking with town councillors in order to establish what the town needs in terms of a preferred tenant(s) for the ground-floor retail premises.”  

The planning application can be viewed on Somerset Council’s planning portal under 2024/1505/FUL.