WHILST discussing plans for 249 homes either side of the B3092 The Mount – with the prospect of a further 70 homes to the north (near Little Keyford Lane) being granted in the future – councillors praised some aspects of the amended plans, but also raised concerns.
Councillor Shane Collins – who represents the neighbouring Frome Keyford ward – gave guarded praise to the proposals.
He said, “It’s good to see Curo bringing on solar panels and heat pumps, each in some of the houses. However, combining the two gets us much closer to net zero.
“It’s a sort of island in there, with the only access being past McDonald’s – which, as I think we know, on Saturday mornings is going to be very busy.
“I really like the idea that the barn is staying, but I would suggest that it be looked on as a community hub. There’s nothing for the community there.”
Councillor Richard Pinnock (whose Frome Park ward contained the northern half of the site) added, “My comments about this development have never been a flat ‘no’.
“This is a missed opportunity to make a feature out of the historic buildings within a 21st-century development. Can the developers think again on this point?
“We should value our heritage. I don’t want us to regret not pushing the point that the heritage assets should be at the heart of this proposal.
“We must not create a situation where people drive out of their home to go shopping at the supermarket over the road or to the Co-op at Culver Hill. Embedding walking and cycling into the scheme now is important to how these new homes integrate with Frome.”
Councillor Francis Hayden – who voted against the outline plans – described the new access arrangement as “ridiculous”.
He elaborated, “I don’t see how they [Curo] are going to construct it, let alone [have people] live in it – and I can’t see that anybody is going to want to use the commercial strips along there. I don’t see how they’re viable in any way.
“The noise of the existing commercial developments along there are already above what’s allowable without an acoustic barrier.
“In five years’ time, my fear is that people will be throwing up their hands and saying: ‘how did people who were supposed to know what they were doing end up with this mess?’. It looks beautiful in the picture, but I don’t see how it will work.”
After around an hour’s debate, the committee voted to approve the plans by nine votes to one, with one abstention.
Curo representatives indicated in August 2021 that the company intended to begin construction on the new homes in early-2022, with the site being built out steadily over a five-year period.
A separate application for the commercial element of the site is expected to come forward later in the year.
