TOWN councillors have voted to purchase Broadway Community Gardens allotments and orchard from Mendip District Council for the cost of £25,000 plus legal fees, to support turning it into a green community space that is ‘multi-purpose and multi-generational.’
Broadway allotments and community gardens, situated in Frome near Oakfield Road, is currently used for the community to ‘grow, learn and enjoy’ nature.
The group working to turn this into a community-wide space, Broadway Allotments and Community Gardens Association, have been working on a vision for five years, where they hope to see the space become available to all in the community.
They currently work with different generations and groups doing litter picks, dig days creating beds and have childminding groups that go there.
Jenny from the group said, “This has become a much-loved space by everyone. We are hoping it will become an educational area, we have had some gardening workshops and would love to have some yoga and tai chi groups there. Some of us are neighbours and we didn’t know each other before, but now we do. The wildlife is amazing there.”
At the meeting of Frome Town Council, held on 16th November, cllr Carla Collenette urged fellow councillors to agree to purchase the land from the district council saying, “I want to emphasise the timing of this. This is a moment in time, a window of opportunity. We all know that Mendip disappears in April, who knows what will happen to the assets owned by unitary. If we don’t buy this land now, it will transfer for unitary that have a massive debt and they won’t be giving anything away.”
Mendip district councillor, John Clarke, who is also chair of the Broadway Community Allotments and Gardens Association said, “We are pleased that Mendip have recognised the need to save this space and are giving the town council this window to purchase the site, and work with Save Open Spaces Frome to create something special.
“We hope it will be multigenerational and multi-purpose. I am sure you would want to vote with your heart in terms of creating something really unique and special for the town of Frome.”
Cllr Nick Dove said, “It looks lovely, but Frome has something called the Frome Area Community Land Trust, formed in 2019, and they have yet to find any land to build affordable housing on. We are absolutely desperate for land for housing. I find it really hard to support the idea that we will buy land and for all the wonderful vision of people having access to it, we know that won’t be the case, they will be the people who live around it who generally will go there. I won’t support this, I know I am in a minority. I feel we as a council have got to be braveMemebr and bolder and put people before badgers that get run over when they come into the town centre.”
However, cllr Fiona Barrows said, “I think it is not the right space for affordable housing. Access is not good enough, it’s a tight space and there are issues with ramps. If it had been a viable site for that, we wouldn’t be able to buy it from Mendip. Mendip have looked into viability and they have found it not viable for several reasons.”
Cllr Cara Collenette agreed, saying, “Filling every small green space in our town is not going to solve the housing crisis. What we will lose is our green spaces to breathe, to relax, to be with community. We are all in agreement with that and there are other solutions. Filling in every single green space is not it.”
John Clarke who is also a member of the Frome Community Land Trust said, “I support your view Nick, but it is not one or the other, it’s finding a balance.” Councillors recorded a majority vote to progress with purchasing the land. Frome’s mayor, cllr Sara Butler said, “it’s amazing, bringing a tear to my eye!”
