Somerset Council commits to turning Frome green space into homes
Somerset Council defends controversial housing plans for Packsaddle Fields, as residents protest loss of long-standing green space access
Somerset Council will push forward with plans to build new homes on a Frome green space, despite considerable public backlash.
Packsaddle Fields, at the northern edge of the town, is owned by the council and has been a popular walking spot for local residents and families for more than 50 years.
LiveWest entered into an agreement with Somerset Council to redevelop the site, but was twice refused permission to erect 74 homes and a children’s home on the green space.
While LiveWest plans its next move, the council fenced off the majority of the site in early-March, leaving only the existing public right of way accessible to local residents and visitors.
The People for Packsaddle group staged a protest at the site on March 14, demanding that the newly-erected fences be taken down and the fields protected from any future development.
But the council has now doubled down on its commitment to build homes on the land, with one senior officer describing it “an appropriate piece of land to be developed as housing”.
Jackie Wheeler, from the People for Packsaddle pressure group, raised the issue when the council’s climate and place scrutiny committee met in Taunton on Thursday morning (April 23).
She said: “Packsaddle Fields is an asset of community value. It’s outside the development boundary and has never been designated as development land.
“The Packsaddle community and wildlife have enjoyed and benefited from this undisturbed eight acres of green space for 50 years.
“Last month, the council fenced off the fields and denied public access.”
Chris Hall, the council’s executive director for community, place and economy, gave a verbal update on the matter to Frome Town Council on March 2026 – with Ms Wheeler claiming that Mr Hall had “personally authorised the fencing off of Packsaddle Fields due to a perceived legal threat from LiveWest”.
She added: “Why was this decision classified as ‘operational’ rather than a ‘key decision,’ given that it involves the total restriction of access to an asset of community value?
“Why was this decision not brought before this scrutiny committee prior to implementation, to allow members to assess the validity of the ‘threat of being sued’ against the council’s statutory duties to protect public open space?”
Under the Localism Act 2011, when an asset of community value is put up for sale, the local community can trigger a six-month moratorium (during which time the land or property cannot be sold) and bid to buy it themselves.
Mr Hall responded that the claim he authorised the site being fenced off due to the threat of legal action was “an oversimplification” of the discussion which took place at the town council meeting.
He added: “There continues to be a level of misunderstanding surrounding the site.
“Packsaddle Fields is privately owned by the council, and is held by the council for the purposes of development – the site is not public open space.
“We had allowed a permissive path to be established, which allowed access across the field and connected with the existing public rights of way network.
“Any wider use of the site is unauthorised, which includes recreational uses. Any such use was formally removed by Somerset County Council back in November 2020.
“We have now fenced off the land to secure the site from unauthorised use and trespass.
“The site is registered as an asset of community value – but this designation does not confer access or usage rights, nor does it change the status of the site.
“We believe this is an appropriate piece of land to be developed as housing. We are mindful of the contract that we have signed and any implications arising from it.
“We want to see more homes built in this area and we wish to develop this site for housing.
“Therefore, we will continue to support LiveWest in delivering that objective.”