Frome Society’s talk on the Trinity area

Frome Society’s winter programme of 12 Saturday afternoon lectures continues on 18th October with a talk by Dr Patricia Smith on ‘Planners versus People: The Trinity Area.’

This year, the group has been celebrating 50 years since the greater part of Frome’s 17th century Trinity area was saved from the bulldozers that had already started clearing many of the historic streets and buildings in Trinity.

It was a major victory for the community against a planning policy that required the clearance of so-called ‘slum housing’ and its redevelopment with modern estates.

Organisers say, “Today, communities are still fighting to preserve the environments they value against blanket planning policies that filter down from national government. Pat Smith, a retired writer and architectural historian and Chair of Frome Civic Society, which helped save the Trinity area fifty years ago and prepared the Trinity exhibitions at Frome Museum, will take a look at the parallels between then and now. As history repeats itself, how do people make their voices heard against the planning system?”

Frome Society’s lectures take place in the Assembly Rooms at the rear of Frome Memorial Theatre, starting at 2.30pm. Visitors are welcome but are asked to pay an entry fee of £5.

Pictured: Dr Patricia Smith