Council agrees sale of 12-acre heritage site

Somerset Council has agreed to sell a 12-acre heritage site in Frome to Mayday Saxonvale Development.

Members of the executive committee announced its decision at a special meeting, where more than 60 people attended in-person, with a further 120 joining online.

Executive members reviewed options for the Frome site, and considered an updated proposal from Mayday Saxonvale.

The decision to sell was unanimous. The council said the sale generates a capital receipt for the authority plus savings in revenue costs which are currently being incurred to secure the site.

This is an unconditional sale, which means the control and responsibility on how the brownfield site is developed passes to the developers.
The sale proceeds with a view to completion before 31 March 2025.

Leader of Somerset Council, Cllr Bill Revans, said: “The developers convinced us that they have a business plan that will deliver for the people of Frome. Their proposals are innovative and exciting, and we look forward to seeing what happens next.

“It’s important that the Saxonvale site is developed well for Frome, and in taking this decision, we believe we’ve achieved good value for the people of Somerset too.”

The decision comes after the withdrawal of a previous offer from Acorn Group in July 2024.

Somerset Council has been in negotiations with Mayday Saxonvale Development Ltd since then.