Mendip District Planning Board voted recently to allow the development of 157 homes on the old Butler, Tanner and Dennis site.
The scheme was deferred in August due to concerns that the only access to the site was via the narrow Caxton Road. Helen Kay, Keyford ward district councillor, argued then against the planning application on the grounds that the original outline permission was based on there being two access roads. Acorn were not the original applicants for developing the land and had changed the road layout which meant that the second potential access road off Adderwell Road was blocked by two semi detached houses.
The planning board asked Acorn to review the layout and consider other ideas and after some further negotiations, Acorn came back with a revised scheme which will allow for a second access road to go into the site at a later date.
Helen Kay said“It’s not ideal as the road is really only for emergency vehicles right now until another parcel of land is developed with a proper link road. However its there for the future. In the meantime we will keep an eye on how Caxton road copes with all the traffic going through to the 157 homes. Pretty much all the new developments in Frome over the last 10 years have been cul-de-sacs which put so much pressure on the junctions, and we might finally have one that isn’t.”
All the buildings will be energy efficient with triple glazing and electric car charging points in the driveways.
Acorn are now offering solar panels as a ‘customer extra’ – a proposal suggested by councillor Francis Hayden – and possibly water butts too. This is over and above what is currently required by building regulations set by central government.
Green Party parliamentary candidate Dr Andrea Dexter commented, “That needs to change – these sorts of standards should be commonplace in new developments if we are to tackle the climate emergency we all face.”
The development also includes a neighbourhood centre, a park with children’s play area and a riverside walk, which it’s hoped will link up to the station and a footbridge across the river in the future.
To view the plans for the site visit the Mendip District Council planning website and search using the reference: 2019/0209/REM
