Legal battles have intensified at a public inquiry concerning plans to build new homes on Packsaddle Fields, a cherished green area on the northern edge of Frome, Somerset. This land has been held in public ownership since 1973 and was initially set aside for a school project.
In March 2022, Somerset County Council announced intentions to sell the site, entering an agreement with housing association LiveWest. LiveWest put forward proposals in March 2023 to build 74 homes alongside a children’s care facility. However, the council’s eastern planning committee turned down the application on January 7, citing local opposition aiming to preserve the countryside. LiveWest subsequently appealed the rejection.
The public inquiry is underway at the council chamber in Shepton Mallet, with Planning Inspector Michael Chalk leading the proceedings. LiveWest’s lead counsel, Giles Cannock KC, argued the development addresses a pressing housing shortage in Somerset. “We are in the middle of the most acute housing crisis in living memory,” he said. Cannock highlighted that 22 percent of the proposed homes would be affordable housing, contributing 16 dwellings, albeit below the council’s 30 percent requirement for schemes of this size.
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In addition to housing, LiveWest committed to financial contributions exceeding £400,000 to support local schools and improve traffic infrastructure at key roundabouts near Frome. The inclusion of a children’s home was added at the council’s request, with assurances that if this element can’t be delivered, the land will revert to public open space rather than more housing.
Cannock emphasized Frome’s unique position outside the environmentally sensitive Somerset Levels and Moors catchment area, making it a key site for meeting urgent housing demands without compromising phosphate regulations protecting Ramsar wetlands.
Opposing the development, barrister Killian Garvey representing Somerset Council acknowledged an administrative error in failing to designate the land as public open space earlier. He contended that the loss of this green space constitutes “moderate harm to the environment” and outweighs the benefits offered by the new development.
Local pressure group People for Packsaddle, strongly opposing the scheme, presented arguments underscoring the fields’ community value. Spokesperson Harley Ronan described Packsaddle Fields as uniquely vital to Frome, offering recreational space and fostering community spirit for decades, particularly benefiting families and isolated older residents.
Ronan criticized the proposal as a short-sighted solution failing to adequately consider sustainable, long-term planning and infrastructure needs. The group has pursued registering the site as an asset of community value to enable local residents a chance to purchase and protect the land from redevelopment.
The inquiry is set to continue for several more days, including a site visit, with the Planning Inspectorate expected to announce its final decision in early autumn.