Lib Dems' Massive Mess At Saxonvale Frome

Lib Dems Wasting YOUR Money

UPDATE (30/1/21): A proposal has now been approved by Mendip District Council, but it is very unpopular.

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The Saxonvale site in Frome continues to lie derelict.

Eighteen months have now passed since Lib Dem-controlled Mendip Council proposed its development at Saxonvale.

Almost nobody wants this development.

96.5% of comments made to Mendip Council about this proposal have loudly and clearly said NO to this dreadful development.

Is Mendip Council listening to residents? 

Residents described the Councils proposal as “reckless”and that it “doesn’t meet the Town’s needs".

Worse still, Mendip Council is now in a legal battle.

Millions have been wasted on this site.

Now Somerset Independents has discovered that even more money is being wasted on a legal battle. Yes, it has been confirmed by senior officers, that there is now a court case.

When will Mendip Council come clean?

Liberal Democrat Cllr Barry O’Leary is now Deputy Leader of the Council. At the Full Council meeting on the 30^th September 2020, members of Somerset Independents heard him tell everyone about his claim of the Council's openness and transparency.

Cllr O’Leary was referring** to the Council's Commercial Investment Strategy, and the Councils Phoenix Sponsorship Board, which makes decisions on projects like Saxonvale. 

Denise Wyatt of Somerset Independents, who is a highly experienced former local government officer, says:

"I was astonished at Cllr O'Leary's claims. All decisions by the Board are made behind closed doors."

Here at this link is an example. 

Denise also says: 

"See for yourself! It's just headings. The agenda and minutes are just headings, you can't see what councillors are doing, what they are talking about or what they are spending.

The Lib Dem Leader of the Council Cllr Ross Wyke* and Cllr O'Leary** are hiding the decisions." 

Leader of Somerset Independents Andrew Pope, himself a former councillor says:

"Get the message Mendip Council your development is NOT ON. Almost nobody wants it!

The Lib Dems on Mendip Council should stop this development and start to be genuinely open and transparent about your failings.

Or can’t the Fib Dems admit what they've done, because of the legal mess that they have created and which Somerset taxpayers are paying for?"

* Mendip District Council has described Saxonvale as a "key project". In December 2019, Councillor Ros Wyke gave a tour of the site to local media, saying Saxonvale is:

"the most exciting regeneration project Mendip's been looking at for years."

She said: "Acorn has been working with the council now for some years.

"As the original owners of the site, we have made it very clear that we have certain expectations of how we're going to develop on this site."

 

** Liberal Democrat Councillor Barry O'Leary, Deputy Leader, said at the Full Council meeting:

 

"The commercial strategy is discussed at the Phoenix Board... set up by the previous Administration... There was a Phoenix Board meeting recently where we went through all this. Everybody is welcome to come to that. It is an open and transparent process...

We are, as I have always said, prudent with a purpose with public money... We are a very well-equipped District Council and we must do what are the people's priorities... We do need a commercial strategy to address the budgetary gap that exists because we don't have that funding and we will resume that work."