Our latest update
Since Somerset Council erected fencing around Packsaddle Community Fields we’ve received nothing but overwhelming support, from our local community, people across Frome and organisations across Somerset. Thank you to our MP Anna Sabine, Somerset Councillors Adam Boyden, Dawn Denton and Martin Dimery, Frome Town Council, CPRE Somerset and the Frome Area Green Party who have all been unequivocal in condemning the actions of the Council.
Fencing off this land is another aggressive act, instigated by a developer that has never cared for this town and is not interested in what we think and what is important to us. And Somerset Council doesn’t care much either. Whilst in their initial press release, they claimed “This is not an easy course of action for the Council to take” and “we cannot allow the Council to become involved in what would be costly legal action”, their Chief Executive wrote to us last week saying “You seem to be under the impression the Council is in some way unhappy with the contract with LiveWest. That is not the case.”
The strength of feeling about Somerset Council and the LiveWest, the developer, was demonstrated recently, when over 220 people of all ages came to our gathering in the newly fenced off area to hear an update from People For Packsaddle and to make their feelings known. We were supported by local councillors from both Somerset Council and Frome Town Council at this event.
The actions taken, under threat from a developer, highlight serious questions about this whole debacle which are now being raised by our local MP Anna Sabine, as well as by Somerset Councillors and Frome Town Council. We believe this is a turning point in our campaign to save Packsaddle Community Fields and we are now discussing next steps with our legal team and other experts.
We are also now asking the public for their support yet again. We know many people want to help and one simple action we are asking people to take is to sign a petition to stop the fencing.
The reason this petition is important to us is that, if it receives 5000 signatures, it triggers a debate at a Somerset Council Full Council meeting. No decisions about these fields, apart from the planning application, have ever been debated at a Council meeting or discussed in public. This includes the decision to sell, the decision to enter into an option agreement with a developer without exploration of alternative options, the decision to fence them off. Decision after decision about Packsaddle Community Fields has been taken without proper discussion with our Somerset Councillors, Frome Town Council or the community that has cared for and used this space for 50 years We want to see if we can change that and get this matter debated properly and openly.
At every hurdle in the fight to save Packsaddle Community Fields, we have prevailed. We gained Asset of Community Value status for the fields, the planning application was refused and we won at Planning Appeal and we will do everything in our power to overcome this latest hurdle.
You can sign the petition here.
You can keep up to date with the work being undertaken by People for Packsaddle via their website peopleforpacksaddle.org and on social media.
