Frome council rejects residents' £1m community regeneration bid
Somerset officials have instead agreed a deal with a London-based real estate company, dealing a blow to a resident-led plan for homes, workspaces and a riverside park.
A bid by residents of Frome, in Somerset, to deliver what could have been one of the UK's largest community-led regeneration projects has collapsed after the local council opted for a deal with a London-based real estate company instead.
More than 1,000 residents of the town had clubbed together, raising almost £1m in support of the Mayday Saxonvale scheme, which envisioned homes, workspaces, a riverside park and a lido built on a brownfield site in the town centre.
A community effort set back
Despite the scale of local backing and fundraising behind the community bid, Somerset officials ultimately agreed a deal with the London-based company for the site instead.
Residents involved in the campaign described the outcome as devastating, given the years of effort and financial contributions that had gone into developing the community-led alternative.
The decision leaves the future shape of the brownfield site in the hands of the chosen developer, with residents' hopes for a community-owned homes, workspace and park scheme now in doubt.
Sources
- ‘Devastating’: council rejects Frome residents’ bid for regeneration project — The Guardian — World
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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