A COMMUNITY group is ready to step up and purchase land in Frome if opposing plans to develop the field fail to secure planning permission.

The land, which is owned by the cash strapped Somerset Council, was put up for sale in 2022 and an application to build 74 new homes and a children’s home was subsequently submitted by LiveWest, with a result expected in the coming weeks.

The Packsaddle community in Frome banded together to form People For Packsaddle (PFP) – a group opposed to any development on the land as they say it has great community value.

PFP describe the land as a wild and beautiful green space used by generations of local people to walk safely in nature, meet with neighbours and enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside.

The group hopes that the application by LiveWest will not be granted planning permission, which would pave the way for PFP to buy the land for community use.

An artist’s impression of the plans by LiveWest Picture: LiveWest

Toby Culff from PFP said: “We have pledges from local people, who want us to buy this precious space, amounting to a quarter of a million pounds and we have a plan in place to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the fields, as well as to manage them for the benefit of the people of Frome now and in the future.”

The area has been awarded the rare distinction of Asset of Community Value, recognising its worth to the community, and is rich in biodiversity. The fields fall outside the development boundary for the town and were recently rejected by Somerset Council in its own call for development sites.

PFP say the decision by Somerset Council to enter into an agreement with LiveWest was “motivated by money and based on flawed assumptions and poor decision making processes” and there was no tender process.

Toby said: “The decision by Somerset County Council to sell the land was made in a meeting attended by three people, two councillors and the Somerset County Council Estates Officer.

“The meeting concluded that selling the land for development would not lead to negative implications for the councils’ climate emergency and sustainability strategy, there were no health and wellbeing implications and there was no social value to the fields. People for Packsaddle believe all three of these conclusions to be fundamentally flawed.”

Toby added: “The Asset of Community Value status of the fields has also been downplayed and disregard throughout the planning process. We have watched devastating mechanical clearances of the fields and the dangerous and badly managed introduction of cows for the first time in around 40 years.

The layout for the 74 homes proposed by LiveWest Picture: LiveWest

“The council thwarted our attempts to discover the reasons for instigating the clearances and eventually, after considerable delay, they rejected our freedom of information request about this on the grounds of costs.

“They have admitted though that the introduction of cows was to ‘to lower the biodiversity ahead of development’ even though no planning permission had been granted at the time.

“The permanent loss of these fields for what could amount to a mere £800,000 plug in the council’s gaping sizeable financial deficit is decision making at its worst.

“It seems the council is happy to asset strip, disbenefiting the local community of a precious Asset of Community Value for a one-off grab for cash. To us, the fields are priceless and we’ll do everything we can to protect them.”

Your Somerset Leveller contacted Somerset Council to find out exactly when the application will be decided.

To stay up to date with PFP, follow the group on social media or visit their website.

To view the plans in full search 2023/0864/FUL on Somerset Council’s planning section on their website.