Frome Town Council Meeting 26th January 2011 V4F Update Brief Charles Wood Chairman

MAIN ROLES Promoting Community Plan - Monitoring, Maintaining, revising, assisting and lobbying to achieve objectives Networking with Town Groups and Local Authorities - to help to: - Relate plan objectives with town issues - Assist community groups to meet Plan's objectives (e.g. inputting to fund generation and business cases) Facilitating and Promoting Community Consultations - to reach all parts of the Frome community Working with Other Somerset and Mendip Community Organisations - E.G. as member of the Somerset Market Towns Forum (SMTF), Mendip Strategic Partnership Board Member (MSP), and Mendip Community Support – also with Community Council for Somerset.

Update – since January 2009 Slow but steady progress Cultivating a useful presence in the town Concentrated on building good links and networking The Plan's projects a constant point of reference

Plan Maintenance and Development Limited activity - “Mapping” of town groups' objectives and activities to the Plan's projects a necessary start Will include new projects Refresh around 5 years after issue

Promoting the Plan's Projects Support other groups – funding applications (e.g. FROGS riverside project) Free car parks Westway seating Gorehedge junction – pedestrian needs Saxonvale – some 44 of the Plan's projects could be relevant to this development Town tourism and marketing

NETWORKING AND LINKS (1) Town Council - Working Group and Forum on Town information - Car Park Purchase solution - Gorehedge traffic arrangements District Council and EMCP - Consultation on town centres, future economy - MSP – Sustainable Community Strategy - Year 09/10 Budget priorities consultation - Car park charges discussion, consultation event and permit solution

NETWORKING AND LINKS (2) County Council - Transport Plan Town Groups - Direct liaison and assistance with CoC, cFrome, Sustainable Frome, Civic Society, FoRF, FROGS Somerset Market Town Forum (SMTF) - Newsletters - Network events - Information feedback Community Council for Somerset (CCS) – Tracking and advising on Community Plan projects

NEXT STEPS

For V4F Continue to build momentum – use our funds to raise capacity. “Mapping” task, and admin and website support. Seek to strengthen cooperative links with and between the Council, other town groups, with town “partnership” approach in mind. Build membership and contacts, to raise capacity, and to make a possible social enterprise approach viable.

Town's Hot Issues Include Town and Tourist information Provision Car parking (V4F, EMCP, CoC, SF, FTC) Cheese and Grain Saxonvale - Traffic - Supermarket (Various initiatives, Blog, media etc) County and District Cuts - e.g: - Arts - Libraries

Handling Town Issues Some Food for thought - More and more the Town could have to address its own needs as the cuts bite - Localism Bill, Right to Build, and community empowerment will call for differences in how we collectively do business. - The Town Council will/should presumably have a lead role in this. - The Community Plan should continue to encompass what the community wish to see in Frome Long and short term view (to 2028), informing the Council's Strategic Plan (3 year view) and the LDF Owned by the Community (e.g via V4F or a Town partnership) – a refresh will be needed A Town coordinator should have a key role

District Council Project Deliveries S Frome Services The many Other Town Groups (e.g. FoRF, FROGS) V4F (Owns Plan) SMTF How Things Could/Should? Work (1) (Partnership Approach) FROME COMMUNITY Executive/Action Links cFrome Civic Society CoC Town Council Community involvement Partnership “with Variable subgroups according to need” Networking &/or Cooperation Town Environment and Activities County Council Other Somerset Groups – MCS, CCS, etc MSP

District Council Project Deliveries S Frome Services The many Other Town Groups (e.g. FoRF, FROGS) SMTF How Things Could/Should? Work (2) (Partnership Approach) FROME COMMUNITY Executive/Action Links cFrome Civic Society CoC Town Council Community involvement Partnership “with Variable subgroups according to need” Networking &/or Cooperation Town Environment and Activities County Council Other Somerset Groups – MCS, MSP, CCS, etc Coordinator Community Plan Owned by Partnership Management Team/Trust etc/ex-V4F

A challenging and interesting time for the Town – with several regeneration issues

I leave the thought with you, and the next Town Council, on how best to work with the Frome community - So we can, collectively, be optimistic about the future characteristics and facilities of the town