Campaigners celebrate decision to delay decision on 325 houses, by local democracy reporter Daniel Mumby; additional reporting by Frome Times’ Ben Fenlon.

COMMUNITY action group, Friends of Little Keyford (F.O.L.K.), have welcomed the decision by the district council’s planning board to delay the decision about plans for more than 300 new houses in Frome. 

They said, “The unanimous message from the Mendip Planning Board that the developers must do better sets a precedent that times have changed and demonstrates that national policy reforms to ‘build back better’ and create good quality housebuilding are filtering down to local government.

“We’re delighted that the planning board has properly scrutinised these threadbare plans. They would have dramatically affected not just the residents and wildlife that call Little Keyford home. They would have affected the many people who come here to use these lanes and fields and enjoy time outdoors in the fresh air – something that we have all appreciated over the past 18 months.  

“Once developed, these fields will be gone forever. So, if they are to be built upon, then we need to make sure that this is done in the most sustainable way possible. Frome deserves better.”  

Wainhomes and David Wilson Homes put forward three separate applications to deliver the homes either side of the B3092 The Mount in the Little Keyford area of Frome, at the town’s southern edge. 

Mendip District Council’s planning board met to debate the plans on 26th July, with officers recommending that two of the three applications be approved. 

But after three hours’ debate, the board voted unanimously to delay a decision on all three sites for up to six months, branding the master-plan “inadequate” and asking for more information. Under the proposals, Wainhomes will deliver 70 homes with access from Little Keyford Lane, with green space and an attenuation pond being provided at the south-eastern corner of the site. 

This development’s spine road will connect up to the David Wilson Homes site on the western side of The Mount, providing a route between the two main roads in and out of Frome for each housing estate. 

The site on the western site of The Mount will provide 131 homes, with a further attenuation pond and green space at its southern edge. The final parcel of land, on the eastern side of The Mount, will provide 118 homes (reduced from 124 in the original plans) – bringing the total number of homes to 319. 

The access road to this last site will be staggered to the south of the western development to prevent congestion or crashes. 

Dr Pat Smith of Frome Civic Society said all three plans should be turned down because the master plan showing how the sites would complement each other was not up to scratch. 

She said, “The management agreement between the developers fails on every count. It offers no broad vision for a joined-up community, no clear design strategy for buildings or street scapes, and no coherent access plan. 

“It simply strings together the three separate housing estates – it is the most threadbare and perfunctory document. 

“The assorted copybook homes are completely alien to Frome’s vernacular. The proposed use of red brick is perverse in a town built on and of its native limestone.” 

Joe Hannam Maggs, whose copyrighting business is based on Sandys Hill Lane near the site, said the plans should be altered to protect the character of Little Keyford Lane. 

He said, “All access should be from the B3092 main road. Little Keyford Lane has important public amenity value and must not be allowed to become a rat run. The impact to the River Frome will be significant and the current drainage plans are inadequate. This will cause local and downstream flooding, and impact river quality. 

The whole site currently lies outside of the Frome development limit, which was set to prevent ill-planned urban sprawl like this.” 

Councillor Shane Collins, whose Frome Keyford ward includes all three sites, criticised the design of the homes and said the development would exacerbate existing traffic issues in the town centre. He said, “I feel that today’s solutions will become tomorrow’s problems, with a vast increase in traffic numbers. 

“As you come up the B3092, you come to one-way at Keyford – so people will either have to turn left down Rossiters Hill or right down Locks Hill. Two cars can’t get through on either route. The layout does not engender the creation of communities. There needs to be a focal point or somewhere for community gatherings, like a small green area with benches, a community orchard, or even a playground that is near the houses and not on the edge near the main road.” 

Councillor Helen Kay (who represents the same ward) added, “This is basically suburban sprawl on versatile agricultural land. 

“We need to become more resilient, and we may as well use some of the good agricultural land for allotments.” 

Councillor Tom Killen called on the developers to rethink the master plan to ensure the new developments would meet local need and reflect Frome’s distinctive character. 

He said: “I think we are all recognise these sites will be developed – as far as development sites go, these are pretty low-hanging fruit. 

“However, we have got an obligation to ensure that developments deliver on what we require today – and our needs are changing. 

“The applications are trying to force something – we’re almost creating battles for the future. The developers should be putting work into the master plan to make sure it satisfies our requirements.” 

After nearly three hours of debate, the board voted unanimously to defer a decision on all three applications for up to six months, to give the developers time to put forward an alternative master plan for the area.