Plans currently being discussed across the district could see the development of thousands of new homes and jobs in Frome by 2026. Consultation events on the plans will be held in the town on 9th March.
Mendip District Council is producing a new set of planning documents to guide development in the area up to the year 2026. These documents will make up the Local Development Framework (LDF) and the council wants to know what you think about these proposals.
The ‘Core Strategy’, the most important of these documents, is proposing the development of 2,300 homes and up to 2,700 jobs in the town by 2026.
Residents in Frome and surrounding areas are being encouraged to take part in consultation events on the core strategy to be held at the Cheese and Grain on Wednesday 9th March from 9.00am to 8.00pm.
John Meeker, a member of the planning policy team at Mendip District Council said, “The Core Strategy sets out how many new houses and jobs are required in the district and where they should go and what services and facilities, such as shops, schools, green spaces and health centres are needed to make Mendip a better place to live.”
Key proposals outlined for Frome in the draft core strategy are: • To provide 2,300 new homes • To provide five hectares of new employment land in addition to that available at Commerce Park • Redevelop parts of the town centre • Improve and supplement open spaces around the town • Provide for new education facilities • Remodel the Market Place
This is the third stage of consultation; in early 2008 Mendip asked people to highlight what issues they had in their areas, which helped prepare information on each of the five towns in Mendip – Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells. A further consultation on this took place at the beginning of 2009.
Cllr Gus Halfhide, portfolio holder for organisational development at Mendip District Council said, “These plans have been built on earlier consultation work with local communities, responding to issues they raised by making suggestions about the future of the district as a whole and the future of individual towns and villages.
“I would therefore urge as many people as possible to take part in this third stage of consultation, as it really will give people the chance to help shape the way Mendip will look in 2026 and it’s important that they get involved.”
The consultation paper can be downloaded from the council’s website at www.mendip.gov.uk, or viewed at the council information points across the district.
The deadline for comments as part of the consultation is Thursday 31st March, the comments received will be used to amend the document. There will then be one last chance to let Mendip District Council have your views on the plans, towards the end of 2011.
