Council rejects Frome residents’ bid for regeneration project
More than 1,000 residents of Frome in Somerset raised almost £1m for the Mayday Saxonvale scheme, which proposed homes, workspaces, a riverside park and a lido on a brownfield site in the town centre. Somerset officials instead agreed a deal with a London-based real estate company, leaving the community-led proposal in tatters.
More than 1,000 residents of Frome in Somerset raised almost £1m for the Mayday Saxonvale scheme, a proposed community-led regeneration project on a brownfield area in the town centre.
The plans involved building homes and workspaces, along with a riverside park and a lido. Somerset officials rejected the residents’ bid and agreed a deal with a London-based real estate company.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What conditions did Somerset officials use to assess the competing bids?
How would the proposed development affect residents who contributed to the community fundraising?
What commitments, if any, does the agreed deal include for homes, workspaces, public space and a lido?
Why did more than 1,000 residents choose to fund a community-led alternative?
What options remain for the Mayday Saxonvale proposal after the council’s decision?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · AUGUST 2026