Secretary of State to intervene in Frome planning application

Local community action group, Friends of Little Keyford (FOLK), has  won a major victory against speculative development of greenfield land on the south side of Frome.

Concerned by the lack of scrutiny of developer proposals on this site south of the Mount and Little Keyford in Frome, FOLK – a group of local residents with no formal training in the intricacies of planning law – took matters into their own hands.

In a detailed 14-page letter sent to the office of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick from FOLK successfully argued that the site in Mendip District Council’s (MDC) emerging Local Plan Part II required a thorough, independent Government review. He said the review is necessary to determine whether a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required to protect the environment, contrary to advice provided to developers by MDC.

The FOLK group say, “The greenfield area around Little Keyford is located outside the present Frome development limit. It is rich in biodiversity, supporting wildlife including recorded high activity of the rarest UK bat species. Evidence to date throws into doubt whether this site should be developed at all. 

“Despite this, the area has been disproportionately targeted for development under MDC’s emerging Local Plan Part II and in plans published in late 2019 and early 2020, there had been little consideration given to the impact on the natural environment and biodiversity or a joint access proposal to the fields that make up the combined site.

“The Government-appointed Planning Inspector has already advised a comprehensive masterplan for the entire site to be carried out prior to granting planning permission for any part of the site. However, in a bid to minimise costs and maximise profits, developers have split the site into three and have submitted separate speculative planning applications to push development forward – allowing them to avoid preparing a comprehensive masterplan and to circumvent the EIA Regulations. This is at the expense of the environment, the community of Little Keyford and the thriving town of Frome.

“FOLK’s arguments to the Secretary of State rested on the sensitivity of the site setting. In particular, the site falling within the local consultation xone for protected species (Greater Horseshoe bats), its visibility from the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which holds dark skies status and the significant urbanising effect that development on greenfield land would have on this area of Frome.

“Further evidence provided by FOLK demonstrated that the methodology for screening likely significant effects for this development was flawed and that the cumulative impacts associated with development in Little Keyford – and more widely across Frome – had not been duly considered by MDC.

A FOLK spokesperson said, “The lack of scrutiny of the environmental impact isn’t the only issue relating to this site. Frome residents should be appalled at the lack of forward planning – especially regarding access and safety for future residents. But also the failure to take account of local residents’ views (a trend we see elsewhere in Frome).”

Mendip District Councillor Shane Collins – Green Party group leader and long-time supporter of FOLK said, “The loss of green space and best and most versatile land around Frome is a travesty. Our district council has declared a Climate and Ecological Emergency, yet developers continue to show complete disregard for environmental matters. 

“We should be working together to protect areas where the soil is valuable and could be used to produce food for future generations. Developments like the one we see here are rarely designed to be sustainable. Where are the solar panels? Where are the allotments? Where is the concern for the inevitable loss of wildlife?”