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Move to sell Saxonvale site in Frome to Mayday community group approved

A MAJOR site in Frome will be sold to Mayday Saxonvale, it has been decided.

The former industrial site, in the heart of the town, will now be developed to provide homes, commercial space and, potentially, a lido.

Somerset Council’s decision to sell to Mayday comes after it previously voted to sell to developer Acorn.

However, a day after the decision, the developer withdrew from the scheme amid a community backlash.

At a meeting the council’s Executive today (January 23), the decision was made to sell to Mayday, going along with the recommendation of officers.

The Saxonvale site in Frome has been derelict for a number of years. Picture: Mayday Saxonvale

The Saxonvale site in Frome has been derelict for a number of years. Picture: Mayday Saxonvale

Confirming the decision, the council said: “Somerset Council has agreed to sell a 12-acre heritage site in Frome, to Mayday Saxonvale Development Ltd.

“Members of the Executive Committee announced its decision at a special meeting held in Frome Town Hall. This is an unconditional sale, which means the control and responsibility on how the site is developed passes to the developers.

“The sale proceeds with a view to completion before March 31, 2025.”

Before the meeting, the Mayday group said: “We have been in positive talks with Somerset Council since September and are thrilled to hear that the officers have now recommended the sale to us.”

“With your support, we have been working toward this moment for nearly six years, and it will be an incredible moment for us all,” they added.

“Community-led development is still relatively new in the UK, and this development could lead the way forward as a blueprint for other developments of its kind across the UK.

“It really will be a landmark decision for the council.”

Mayday Saxonvale, a not-for-profit organisation, has wide-ranging plans for the site.

Previously, they revealed plans for 11,000sq ft of employment space, coupled with housing – more than 30% would be affordable housing – as well a boutique hotel, workshop/studio space, a rehearsal space for young musicians and an outdoor lido.

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I am the editor in chief of Blackmore Vale media, which includes the New Blackmore Vale, New Stour & Avon, Salisbury & Avon Gazette and the Purbeck Gazette, having been a reporter for some 20 years. In my spare time, I am a festival lover, with a particular focus on Glastonbury. I live in Somerset with my wife and two children.