FAIR Housing for Frome says that the proposal for a ‘Selwood Garden Village,’ with 2,000 new homes, should have a ‘significant number’ of affordable homes and be ‘genuinely affordable’ for local people.
The ‘Selwood Garden Village’ has been proposed over 161 hectares of land south of Frome, including the Mount and Little Keyford areas, for development.
The plan, produced by NVB Architects and Grassroots Planning who represent the landowners, states that affordable housing will be available throughout the development, and that addressing the problems of those unable to access the housing market will be a “high priority.”
The local community organisation, Fair Housing for Frome, which was set up to address the housing crisis it believes the town is facing, is keen to work closely with the architects, should the plans progress, acting as an advocate for the needs of local people on low incomes.
Speaking to Frome Times, chair of Fair Housing for Frome, Alison Murdoch said, “The aim of Fair Housing for Frome is to support the provision of affordable and accessible accommodation for the inhabitants of Frome and the surrounding areas.
“On this basis, we’ll be keen to work as closely as possible with Mendip District Council, Frome Town Council and with NVB Architects and the development consortium, not only to ensure that there are a significant number of ‘affordable homes’ included in the development, but also that these homes are genuinely affordable for local people.
“There are four key roles that Fair Housing for Frome hopes to take:
“To be a clear source of information for the general public about the consultation, planning and development process, and how we can all get involved
“To lobby for a thorough and inclusive consultation process.
“To act as an advocate for the needs of local people on low incomes.
“To sustain a holistic vision for the proposed development, emphasizing that it’s not just about building housing, but creating community.
“Last year over 200 people either attended our events or signed up on our website and Facebook page, and we hope that even more will choose to work with us to get the best possible deal for people on low incomes in the town.”
The proposal for ‘Selwood Garden Village’ has been produced in response to Mendip District Council’s Local Plan Part 2, which identified six potential sites in Frome for new housing.
The 2,000 homes offered by the development propose an alternative to the Local Plan Part 2 site allocation plan, which suggests 120 homes could be built on land east of the Mount and up to 20 homes on land at Little Keyford.
Director at NVB Architects, Andrew Simpson said, “This is an ambitious plan. Frome is the largest town in the district and has seen much less new housing than other towns such as Wells, Street or Shepton Mallet. Frome has not grown as much as it might have done and this has forced house prices through the roof. Most young people on a average salary can’t afford to buy.
“The plans set out in the Local Plan Part 2 consultation, offers small parcels of land for development, that provide no infrastructure.
“What we have produced is a comprehensive plan that will offer huge benefits to Frome including affordable housing, a generous amount of employment land, improved footpaths and cycleways – particularly connections to the train station, improved roads – particularly to reduce congestion within the Blatchbridge area, green spaces and social care facilities.”
The ‘Selwood Garden Village’ proposal will be considered by Mendip District Council, alongside other submissions made during the Local Plan Part 2 consultation.
The council will consider if changes should be made to the plan before submission to the Secretary of State for examination.
