INDEPENDENTS
FOR
FROME
FOR FROME.
ALL OF FROME.
AND NOTHING BUT FROME.
Independents for Frome is a group of local people who stand as town councillors without belonging to any national political party. We are motivated by one thing: doing what is best for Frome.
We believe local decisions are best made by local people, focused on community needs rather than national party agendas.
Since 2011, Independents for Frome has led Frome Town Council with a different approach to local politics - one rooted in collaboration, openness, and practical solutions.
So let’s keep Frome independent!
BY-ELECTION
BY-ELECTION
SAY HELLO TO Grace!
On 10th February, residents in Park Ward will elect a new town councillor.
Your IfF candidate is Grace Harper.
“Hi, I'm Grace. I've called Frome home for the past five years, though my family has been part of this town for nearly two decades.
I'm a documentary filmmaker and teacher, passionate about understanding different perspectives, listening, and helping communities come together.
Frome has incredible creativity and energy, but in conversations around town - with my daughter at the sandpit in Victoria Park, at Parsons, walking my dog - I hear the same concern: long-term residents and newcomers are living parallel lives when we could be weaving our stories together.
I’m standing for IfF because I want to be part of bringing our community closer together - making sure everyone feels heard, valued, and part of Frome’s story.”
Who we are:
Our current group of councillors, just after they were elected in 2022.
Independents for Frome are a group of local people who genuinely love this town and want to help make it better! We have all stepped up to be Frome Town Councillors, and agreed to work together.
We have different political views and don’t always agree. In fact we rarely do! We come from all over Frome, and range in age from 24-78.
We aren’t experts. We aren’t politicians. We don’t always get it right. But we do always try.
WHAT WE’VE ACHIEVED TOGETHER:
Much of what we've achieved is in partnership, working collaboratively with other groups and individuals. Here are just some of things we’ve done together over the last three years.
Cllr Fiona Barrows and Alex Silk, Stadium Manager, at Badgers Hill.
WE’VE SAVED LOCAL ASSETS:
The places we spend time together as a community really matter. With Somerset Council facing severe financial difficulties, a number of our valuable assets have come under threat, so we’ve stepped in to save as many as we can.
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Our first big decision as a new group of councillors in 2022 was to save Badgers Hill Football Stadium from closure. We did this because we could see how important it was to so many in our community. Since then we’ve worked hard with the football club and local residents to turn it into a thriving hub for football and the community. It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve stuck with it. A few months ago, we listened to what the community wanted, and agreed to lease the site to a new private operator, securing it’s future.
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The Key Centre is an old Sure Start centre that used to be a vibrant hub for families and young people in the Mount. For the last decade or more, it has been underused despite the clear local need. Earlier this year we agreed to take it on from Somerset Council, saving it from falling into disrepair and disuse. We are working with local residents and community organisations to bring it back to life!
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We have recently taken on 57 new open spaces across Frome from Somerset Council., including all our play parks. We have also taken on Broadway Community Garden, Adderwell Water Meadow and are establishing a community woodland near Spring Gardens. We want to protect as much of Frome’s open spaces as we can.
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Last year we were told that unless we took over their management immediately, Somerset Council would close the toilets in Market Yard, leaving the centre of Frome without any public toilets. We have worked hard to keep them open despite difficulties resulting from many years of mismanagement. While we have had to close them temporarily, we will be asking you this autumn what you would like us to do with them, and if you would like us to fund a full repair.
Cllr Philip Campagna (right), Peter Travis and Tracey Harding supporting the Catch a Bus campaign.
WE’VE STOOD UP FOR FROME:
We really believe in this town, its people and its potential. As a Town Council we don’t have direct control over much, but we’ve used our influence to advocate for the things that really matter to us as a town.
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IfF has supported Mayday Saxonvale since the beginning, recognising the importance of this site to our future as a town. Our Chair of Planning Cllr Steve Tanner, Cllr Fiona Barrows and Cllr Anita Collier all spoke passionately for this community-led development at Somerset Council’s meeting to decide between Acorn and Mayday.
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We don’t have any direct power over our roads, but we recognise how dangers some of the roads we all use everyday are becoming. We have used our voices and local knowledge to advocate for measures that will make our roads safer. Cllr Anita Collier has led on this, and succeeded in getting a new AI camera for the town. We were also an integral part of securing funding for the new crossing on The Butts.
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We heard how upsetting and disruptive it was to many local people and businesses when so many of our banks decided to close. We worked with Prosper Frome to advocate for a Banking Hub in Frome, that will shortly be opening in the old Co-Op building in the Westway.
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Public transport is important for so many people in Frome. Cllr Philip Campagna has been our man on the buses, passionately advocating for our D2 and D2X service, and working towards bringing an electric bus into Frome.
Cllr Ben Still and Cllr Sara Butler at the Saturday market
WE’VE WORKED WITH YOU:
We believe we are stronger together, and can achieve more by working with you, not for you. And as independents we care far more about what you think that someone in Westminster! We actively ask your opinion, and listen to what you have to say.
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We allocate over £80,000 every year in grant funding to community organisations, and support them with the help they need - from finding community spaces, to fundraising support. We hold regular networking sessions to bring organisations working on similar projects together, and have supported Fair Frome specifically with a £15,000 annual grant.
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Along with Frome Medical Practice and Edventure we bought in £1.7 million to fund community-led climate action. We’ve worked with everyone taking climate action here in Frome to mitigate and adapt to our changing climate. We’ve helped organisations in Frome secure funding for solar panels, supported residents to retrofit their homes, and led on the development of a town-wide adaptation strategy.
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We have made the town centre a priority for us over the last three years. We’ve hired a specific town centre range and invested in a street sweeper to support Somerset Council to keep our town centre tidy. We’ve taken on our weekly markets, and are working with the Frome Independent and traders to develop them into a thriving market for locals. We’ve invested in planters and street furniture, and worked with local businesses to manage them.
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We work hard to be as transparent and accessible as we can. Last year we ran a town-wide listening exercise to understand your priorities and these have helped shape our plans for the next couple of years. We all respond to emails from people in our wards, and are seen out-and-about in Frome all the time. We are here, and part of Frome’s fabric.
…AND A LOT OF small things that make a big difference:
The truth is that most of what we do as IfF Councillors you might not even notice, or realise we are behind it.
We have led the Town Council since 2011. You’ve probably got used to our parks, from Victoria Park to Old Showfield, being so well managed; with interesting play equipment, benches where you need them, and beautiful and biodiverse planting. You might have come along to the Christmas lights switch on for years without realising we are behind it; wanting to hold an event that brings Frome together. You might not realise how unusual it is that we encourage everyone to participate in our Council Meetings, or ask for opinion or feedback on a regular basis.
As an organisation Frome Town Council supports and enables in some way so much of what is going in Frome. And that is down to IfF. We are always there, behind the scenes, working hard for Frome.
Cllr Tracey Ashford and Cllr Anne Hills at a Jellyfish Theatre event.
Our new play area in The Old Showfield.
Newly transformed Milk Street Green in Market Ward.
Cllrs Philip Campagna, Steve Tanner, Mark Dorrington, Lisa Merryweather-Millard and Fiona Barrows at the Christmas Lights switch on.
Let’s KEep Frome Independent Together
Independents for Frome is just a group of local people. We don’t have a big party behind us, funding and supporting our work. We rely on volunteers, and our own and the people of Frome’s energy and enthusiasm to keep going.
We need your support.