A director of the community-led Saxonvale development group has resigned, raising concerns that the project has moved away from its original vision for the site in Frome.
Damon Moore has stepped down from his role at Mayday Saxonvale, saying the organisation has “been drifting and losing its way” in regard to its commitment to its founding principles.
He said, “When people put trust in new initiatives, they are hopeful of the right outcome which is especially important in Saxonvale given its history. Yet Mayday has become more like a homeopathic version of what it stood for and I could not any longer be the only person on the Board speaking up for the original vision.
“All has not been well at Mayday HQ. Whilst collective decision-making can turn a Board into over-policed democracies, the process of turning Mayday from a social enterprise into a Community Benefit Society was unnecessary given our existing partnership with FACLT. Other mistakes were made with a sense of drift setting in throughout most of 2025.
“People want something better from development and whilst I sympathise with local politicians of all hats and parties, the entire future of Frome depends upon the principled, local delivery of this site. Frome needs a benchmarked social return for this uniquely special place, not only to benefit themselves and their families but for Frome’s future communities and generations.
“Mayday ought to have stayed true to that vision no matter what. We stopped Acorn and I’m proud of that but Mayday was never about covering Saxonvale in housing. Sadly, I do not feel the Board has adequately put in the right measures to ensure this will not happen.
“Saxonvale is the reason why Frome as a settlement arrived. On a particular day, (perhaps even a day in May) a group of Anglo-Saxon settlers came down a local track, saw the water meadows, fruitful agricultural land and fresh springs and decided this was a good place to build a town. That’s why we all feel so connected to Saxonvale, that’s why we care and to me, it explains a lot, both the curse and the blessing, all the many aspects of human nature’s struggle to make the places where they live better and to speak for us.”
Earlier this month, the Saxonvale site was put back on the open market after Somerset Council said previous approaches had “not delivered a viable outcome”.
A spokesperson for Mayday Saxonvale said, “We are sad to announce Damon Moore has stepped down from his role as Director at Mayday Saxonvale. Damon has been part of our story from the very beginning, founding Mayday with his wife Kate. We would like to thank them both sincerely for their huge contribution and ambition, and the significant role they have played in shaping our vision. Those founding principles remain firmly at the heart of everything we do.
“We will continue to work with our community to secure a thriving long-term future for Saxonvale. A future that remains true to the vision Mayday was founded on.”
