25 homes approved for Frome – By Local Democracy Reporter Daniel Mumby

A FORMER factory site in Frome will be turned into new homes after plans were approved by councillors.

Persimmon Homes Wessex applied in February 2021 to build 25 homes on the former Cuprinol factory site off Adderwell Road, at the eastern edge of the town.

Amended plans were submitted to Mendip District Council in August 2022 following concerns from planning officers about flood risk and the suitability of the site to be developed.

Somerset Council (which replaced the district council in April) has now given the plans the green light, meaning construction could begin within the next 12 months. The site is adjacent to the Old Printworks development currently being delivered by the Acorn Property Group, which comprises 159 homes on the former Butler, Tanner and Dennis Printworks site.

The properties range from one to three bedrooms in size, with each home being fitted with air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points. Eight of the 25 properties will be affordable and will be transferred upon completion to a social housing provider, who will offer them to local rents either at social rent or as shared ownership.

Drainage concerns have been handled through the creation of underground storage within the site, and upon a request by Frome Town Council the public open space within the development will be planted with fruit trees.

The plans were discussed in detail by the council’s planning committee east (which makes decisions on major application in the former Mendip area) when it met in Shepton Mallet on Tuesday 6th July afternoon.

Cllr Shane Collins, whose Frome East division includes the site, welcomed the inclusion of heat pumps but questioned whether the design of the new homes would be environmentally friendly enough.

He said, “Heat pumps need electricity to run them, and proper insulation for them to be efficient and effective. Why is there not triple glazing, as per Acorn’s development next door? Why is Persimmon not building to passivhaus standards, which would negate the need for heat pumps anyway?

“The national planning regulations are woefully behind the times in terms of insulation standards, and developers need to be building better than national planning regulations. While it may make the houses marginally more expensive to build, the running costs will be vastly reduced.

“This is a development close to the railway station and the town centre – so why not provide each house with an electric bicycle as well as electric vehicle chargers, and provide a space for car shares?”

Cllr Helen Kay, who represents the same division, added, “I think it is much better than the first application that was put in. It was originally not going to be linked to the Printworks next door, but we’ve actually got the road going in now – we had to work with Acorn to get that.

“I’m pleased that they’re not using the contamination excuse to lower the amount of affordable housing – they’re giving us 30%, which is a big tick in my book. It’s also good that they’ve contributed properly to the school, which is possibly going to be built on Edmund Park on the other side of the river.

“I am slightly disappointed that there are no solar panels. This is a sloping site, facing south or south-east – it’s an ideal site for solar panels. There’s also no contribution made to a bridge going over the River Frome.”

Land within the Edmund Park development off Castiel Road was allocated for a new school, with £784,448 being set aside within the legal agreements signed in December 2014. As part of the Adderwell Road development, Persimmon is providing £237,536 towards both the school and the expansion of Selwood Academy on Berkley Road.

The developer will also provide £28,825 towards NHS services in the area – though none of this will be directed at GP surgeries. After around an hour’s debate, the committee voted to approve the plans by a margin of ten votes to one.

Speaking after the decision, Persimmon Homes Wessex managing director said, “We’re delighted to have secured this positive decision on our scheme in Frome. The development on brownfield land off Adderwell Road will provide a wide range of high-quality new homes designed for local people, especially young families and first-time buyers, who otherwise might struggle to get onto the housing ladder.

“The scheme will also deliver additional community benefit through the creation of new jobs, eight new affordable homes, publicly accessible green open space and financial contributions to local education and NHS services.

“Throughout the planning process we have worked closely with officers and stakeholders at Somerset Council and Frome Town Council to ensure that our homes are in-keeping with – and enhance – the local area and its surroundings. We have a proven track record of delivery and we are excited about this latest scheme as we continue to build the best value homes in sustainable and inclusive communities.”