Councillor calls for action on Saxonvale site

A FROME town councillor has called for action on the Saxonvale site, encouraging Mendip District Council to force the landowners to clean up and sell the land.

Councillor Richard Ackroyd says that the land, owned by Notts Industries Pension Fund, has become a danger to the public and is a dumping ground for rubbish.

“It’s now 2018 and enough is enough,” said cllr Ackroyd. “Not only is the site in a disgraceful condition, it is also unsafe. It’s a magnet for kids who find the conditions perfect for all sorts of devilment – and who can blame them? It’s wide open and there are derelict buildings to be explored, walls to be graffitied and all sorts of places to hide.

“However, the site is dangerous in the extreme and I found missing manhole covers with 4-foot drops, razor-sharp broken windows, loose floors and so on. And that’s only what you can see; God knows what hidden contamination exists on the site. Numerous fires have been reported and the police and fire service are regular visitors.

“Recently more and more people are dumping rubbish across the site, whilst others are using it as a short-cut into town despite the dangers. I counted over 25 people in half an hour.

“What’s to be done? The derelict buildings on the site are owned by Notts Industries Pension Fund, a remnant from the heydays when the site was used as a factory. These owners should be ashamed of themselves, they have held out for the best possible price and have now probably missed the boom and done the town a great disservice. They need to dispose of the land as soon as possible.

“Mendip District Council have compulsory purchase powers and whilst this can be a long-winded and tricky procedure, we would encourage them to consider using these powers if the Pension Fund will not sell. Mendip District Council also have powers to force the owners to clean the site up and secure the buildings – we know that they have been looking into the most effective legal approach to this, which we applaud, but we urge them to take urgent action now as the problems are getting worse.

“Let’s be positive, there is nothing wrong with this site other than the intransigence of the current landowners. Let’s try and break this stranglehold and put in place something we can all be proud of.”