Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Legal threat fails to stop Saxonvale plan approval
AMAJOR Somerset regeneration scheme has been narrowly approved for a second time – despite the imminent threat of legal action.
Mendip District Council has been working with the Acorn Property Group to regenerate the Saxonvale brownfield site in Frome town centre, through a mixture of housing, commercial uses and public open space.
The council’s planning board voted to approve outline plans for the scheme in January, subject to legal agreements being signed, and work to clear the site using a grant from Homes England began last month.
The board has now given its backing to the scheme for a second time in light of new planning policies being approved – and in spite of the alternative Mayday Saxonvale bid team threatening the council with a judicial review.
The Saxonvale site includes a large number of disused industrial buildings.
There are plans for up to 300 homes for the site as well as up to 45,000 sq ft of commercial space to be set aside for shops, cafes and restaurants.
The ‘western warehouse’ on the current site is expected to become an arts and heritage venue.
Mayday Saxonvale has served the council with a ‘pre-action protocol letter’, which lays out the grounds on which a possible judicial review may be requested.
Its director, Damon Moore, said the council’s officers had “misrepresented” key planning policies at the January meeting, arguing that the
Acorn scheme was “clearly in breach” of policies regarding both affordable housing levels and employment land allocation.
He added: “This plan fundamentally fails to deliver the town centre employment space that Frome desperately needs.”
Mayday Saxonvale’s alternative vision for the site includes a lido and a new site for St John’s School.
Fellow director, Paul Oster, said: “We are appealing to members of the planning board to give the Mayday Saxonvale scheme a fair hearing.
“We do not believe that such a critical development should be imposed on Frome, if there is a realistic, viable alternative that safeguards the social and economic priorities of our town.”
Acorn released a statement following the meeting, welcoming the reapproval of the scheme and promising rapid progress on the development site.
A spokesman said: “We will now focus on finalising the first reserved matters application for the mixeduse development, which will be submitted this winter, and we will prepare to re-engage and consult with local residents and the business community.
“It is important that we create a new sense of place as early as possible; therefore, the first phase will prioritise the public open space, park facilities, footpaths and footbridge to connect with Rodden Meadow.”
We do not believe that such a critical development should be imposed on Frome PAUL OSTER