Town council saves assets and services in historic vote for Frome

Councillors at Frome Town Council have unanimously voted to take on several key local assets and services, in a historic move prompted by Somerset Council’s ongoing financial difficulties.

Following months of discussion and planning, the historic vote to proceed with the devolution of several assets and services from Somerset Council was made at the full town council meeting on Wednesday 12th February.

The plans include taking on The Key Centre and the Mount Community Garden, the Market Yard toilets, weekly markets and 48 open spaces. The town council will also lease the former highways depot next to the recycling centre.

The vote follows a meeting in December, where councillors gave the green light to a draft Frome Devolution Prospectus, detailing plans for the town council to take on responsibility for various local assets and services.

The Key Centre and Mount Community Garden

A former Sure Start Centre, the Key Centre on Feltham Lane has been underutilised for several years. Frome Town Council voted unanimously to take on the freehold of the building and the community garden, at an estimated cost of £45,800 in the 2025/26 financial year.

Among the ambitions for the space is increased capacity for Early Help services, a safe space for children and young people and a meeting place for other community groups, such as those working to combat isolation in older people.

Speaking at the meeting, Fair Frome senior coordinator Lenka Grimes welcomed the plans for the town council to take on the Key Centre and said she hopes the charity can have greater access to this vital space, the only one of its kind in the Mount area. She said, “We have been trying to book [the Key Centre] to use. It’s in a really poor state and we just can’t wait for the town council to get on so we can use [the space] properly. Please vote [to take it on].”

Somerset Councillor Adam Boyden also encouraged the council to support taking over the Key Centre. He said, “Please do this. Somerset Council is under a lot of pressure and over recent years have allowed the key centre to run down which is appalling.”

Cllr Max Wide reminded councillors that Frome Town Council wouldn’t seek to run Early Help and other services itself, but rather facilitate them, having heard from many community groups that their greatest need to operate more effectively was space.

Market Yard toilet block

Frome Town Council will take on the lease for the toilet block and linked building space in the Market Yard in 2025/26. The other spaces in the block will be utilised for community benefit.

The town council has been managing the maintenance and cleaning of the toilets since 2024, including an accessible Changing Places cubicle, saving them from closure. The cost of this will be circa £60,000 in 2025/26.

Weekly markets

Frome Town Council will take on the running and management of the weekly markets in the Cattle Market car park from Somerset Council. The cost in the 2025/26 financial year is expected to be £49,000, including the cost of appointing a freelance staff member to coordinate them. An advisory group will bring together traders, councillors and other stakeholders to discuss longer-term plans for the weekly markets.

Open spaces and Highways depot

Frome Town Council voted unanimously to take on 48 open spaces, eight play parks and a piece of land at Mendip Drive on a 25-year lease. In light of this increased remit for the council’s environment team and additional equipment including a ride-on mower, Frome Town Council will also lease the former highways depot next to Frome Recycling Centre. This is the most-costly element of the devolution plan, coming in at an estimated £180,000.

However, environment manager Rob Holden confirmed to councillors that the majority of these are one-off/set-up costs of around £130,000, with the annual cost of remaining there to be far lower.

Encouraging councillors to consider Frome’s future without these assets and services, Cllr Max Wide said, “It’s really good to see this finally. It’s great to see action. These are significant commitments. I like the way we have set out a vision and that’s the vision that was set out in the prospectus.

“I would just like people to think for a second about what would happen if we didn’t take these things on, if we lost the Key Centre and the open spaces went to rack and ruin or if we didn’t get the markets. All of those kinds of things given the ongoing financial position of Somerset and the ongoing position of Somerset would just deteriorate. They are vital assets to the town and it’s brilliant that we should have them.

“It’s important that we tend not just to the fabric of this town but to the social fabric of this place, so I am really glad to see it and fully support it.”

With a unanimous vote, the council will now proceed with the transfer of assets and a full report will be bought back to the council about more detailed plans at a future meeting.

Pictured: Frome town councillors