Development land, or no?
Somerset Confidential news in brief
Dear readers
Today’s piece is about the continuing saga of Packsaddle fields in Frome. This is an important story in which Somerset Council is showing intransigence in the face of a judicial review ruling and the views of the local electors of Frome.
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Andrew Lee - Editor
Somerset Council are now insisting that the land at Packsaddle Fields is “development land”. They refer to it as such.
This is something of a novelty.
It is worth noting, therefore, that the Somerset Councillors on Planning (East) Committee who voted against developing the site in January 2025, gave as their reason for rejecting the plans: “The site is located outside of the housing development limit and is therefore contrary to the settlement strategy, as outlined in Policies CP1 (Mendip Spatial Strategy), CP2 (Supporting the Provision of New Housing) and CP4 (Sustaining Rural Communities) of the Mendip District Local Plan Part I.”
In layman’s terms, this translates as: “not development land”.
Calling it development land also flies in the face of the planning appeal last year, which decided that the plans to build 74 dwellings and a children’s home on the fields by Somerset Council’s preferred developer Live West, were unacceptable.
In September 2025 the Planning Inspector ruled that the loss of green space would be “substantial and harmful” to the wellbeing of local residents.
It is hard to correlate the words of the Planning Inspector with the idea that the site should be considered as “development land”. Somerset Council are on notice after the appeal decision, that any development which substantially reduces the green space available to residents is likely to be refused.
Indeed, the appeal decision sets a precedent that Somerset Councillors on the Planning East committee will be obliged to take notice of when considering any future plans put forward for the site.
If Somerset Council are hoping that repeating that the land is development land often enough is going to magically transform it into developable land, they are flying in the face of other facts too.
The Live West application was submitted in 2023. But, prior to that, the site had been routinely regarded by planners as not suitable for development and acceptable as green space.
For instance, it has never been promoted for residential development since it was purchased in 1973 (it was initially bought as land to build a school on).
And again, in 1992, the southern part of the fields were allocated as public open space in the adopted Frome Local Plan, which was in turn adopted by Mendip District Council in 1992 (a predecessor of Somerset Council).
In addition:
• The land is not and never has been in any Frome Town development plan.
• It is outside the town’s development boundary.
• It was rejected as unsuitable in the most recent call for sites by Somerset Council in 2025.
Needless to say, the local pressure group: “People for Packsaddle” see things differently. They provided extensive evidence to the judicial review that the land has been used as green space for several generations.
In an attempt to regularise the site as green space, Khift, lawyers acting for People for Packsaddle, have submitted a “certificate of lawfulness of existing use” covering 3.9 acres of the fields (the application number is 2026/0392/CLE)
This will be, to say the least, inconvenient if it is granted.
So how is the application proceeding?
In short, it isn’t.
The application was submitted on 26 February 2026. Public comments have been received and Somerset Cllr Adam Boyden has submitted comments as a statutory consultee.
However, not one of the statutory consultees employed by the Council has responded to the application. And, of course, no decision can be made until responses have been received from all of the statutory consultees.
We are quite sure that this lack of pace is entirely unconnected with the fact that Somerset Council are trying to help Live West in their efforts to get another application in to build housing on the site.
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Regrettably, Somerset Council's call for sites in something called a HELAA (Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment) is being run as a "Policy off" assessment. This means all settlement boundaries are down and any land outside settlements boundaries can be offered as a potential site for development. Do Councillors understand this? Was it approved knowingly?
In Taunton, this allows developers to jump the M5 long-standing eastern settlement boundary, to develop land abutting the Blackdown Hills National Landscape. This includes the Taylor Wimpey 1,100 acres bought for peanuts in 2018/19 from the Crown Estate. There is, highly unusually, no "overage" clause, which is "irregular" IMO. If this huge estate land gains planning permission (for a New Town of up to 9,000 homes) as it has been put forward, Taylor Wimpey will keep the estimated £400 million planning gain, without the taxpayer getting the usual 50% "overage " share of £200 million!
A "Policy off" approach in Taunton allows land in supposedly protected Green Wedges to be put forward too.
Sorry, Frome, but your current plans and boundaries are open for speculative development.
6.2. 'Policy-off' assessment
HELAA assessments can be undertaken either as ‘policy-on’ or ‘policy-off’ assessments.
A policy-on’ approach would not only consider some high-level constraints to development, but also layer on top of this adopted plan policy constraints (such as settlement limits, green wedges, etc.).
A ‘policy-off’ approach would consider some high-level constraints, but would ignore such adopted plan policy constraints.
Given that this exercise is particularly to assist in identifying site options for the new Local Plan, and the relevance and extent of these existing adopted plan policy constraints could change as part of the new Local Plan, a ‘policy-off’ approach has been taken.
Dear Andrew,
Enough is enough. It's time to face the harsh reality: a criminal cartel masquerading as the people's allies has infiltrated our systems. This corruption extends to our judicial and political systems, and even the Crown itself—entities that have become nothing more than corporate shells. Criminal, to say the least.
For the good people of Frome, my birthplace, and indeed all of Britain, there is only one path forward: reclaim our sovereignty. Remove your names from the electoral roll, which reduces us to disposable assets for these corporate entities masquerading as government. Establish your own common law courts grounded in Natural Law. Remember, the true king resides in Heaven, and divine law—do no harm—along with the Ten Commandments, supersedes all other legal manipulations designed to protect the obscenely wealthy few.
The Common Law Training Manual, available on Amazon for around £5, is essential reading for anyone serious about restoring fairness and justice. It outlines the original system of governance we once shared before it was stolen from us.
The people of Packsaddle must unite to form their own court, follow the manual, and hold these criminals accountable for their mass crimes against humanity. You know I'm right. Why else would I be constantly targeted, and why would the police attempt to cover up their attempted murder of me? Or is it simply because I'm the wrong colour?
Which sadly the race card is nothing more than yet another dog and pony show designed to divide and conquer us through hate and blame towards each other, orchestrated by the world's wealthy elite. If we fail to see through this charade, there is no future—not even for our children.
Arise. God Bless You.
[I AM]
Sincerely, Paul