Let’s buy Whatcombe Fields!

A group of local residents are getting together to try and save some popular fields in Frome. 

Known locally as the ‘sledging’ fields and currently used as grazing land, the 54 acre site on Whatcombe Road was up for auction on the 24th June, sign-posted as having ‘development potential’.

The group has launched a campaign to buy the fields together, protecting them as a space for leisure, pleasure and ecology for generations to come.

The money will be raised through issuing community shares and the group is looking for local people to pledge their support.

Community shares are a withdrawable investment and there are hundreds of examples in the UK where this has worked well – enabling communities to protect and enjoy valuable local resources, from woodlands to farms to shops.

Group member Anna said, “Investing in land collectively is probably a safer bet than having money in the bank in the current climate. And by buying the land together we can ensure everyone can continue to enjoy this precious green space.”

The group will set up a community trust and democratically elected management committee to manage the site.

The group needs pledges to see if this idea is viable by mid-July. Minimum investment is £250 (no maximum limit) – please send an email with the amount you can pledge to savefromemeadow@outlook.com – this will not commit you to anything but will give an idea of how much can be raised. They also have a facebook site: www.facebook.com/whatcombefields and can be contacted via Frome Town Council on 01373 465757.