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Have your say on the draft Nature Recovery Plan

This draft Nature Recovery Plan sets out how Frome can protect and improve biodiversity while supporting climate resilience.

Please take some time to read the 3-page summary at the start of the document, or the whole thing, and share your thoughts by commenting below. You don't have to do it all in one go - you can add as many comments as you like.

Nature and climate action are closely linked. Woodlands, rivers, grasslands and soils store carbon, regulate water and temperature, and reduce risks such as flooding and heat stress.

This plan brings together national, regional and local evidence, alongside community data, to identify where action will have the greatest impact.

Your feedback will shape the final plan, which we are aiming to launch this October. The plan will be a roadmap for Frome Town Council, the many organisations we work with, and the wider community to help nature thrive in Frome.

Draft Nature Recovery Plan.pdf

(9.5 MB)

Phases

Phases overview

Phase 1: Have your say on the draft

Have your say on the draft

Have your say on the draft

16 July 2026 23:00 - 16 August 2026 22:59

Feel free to add as many comments as you like. You are welcome to read a section, comment on it, and come back another time to comment on the next. Alternatively you can comment on the whole thing in one go, or only comment on the bits you're interested in. All views are welcome.

You can also like and respond to other people's comments.

Draft Nature Recovery Plan.pdf

(9.5 MB)

12 comments

Miranda Pickersgill1 day ago

Gill Pettitt4 hours ago I applaud the plan and love the thoughtful way that wild spaces are managed here showing that flora and fauna can coexist with a busy town. I live in an area very close to Rodden Meadow, (thank goodness!). It is Housing Association owned, and houses mostly elderly residents that have mixed responses to managing their outdoor spaces. There is a lot of gravel, plastic grass, paving, and artificial flowers, with some potted areas and some small gardens. Surrounding the properties are car parks and grass that is mown (I believe by the town council) to oblivion. 1. Can the plan consider working with Housing associations to honour No Mow May, and, if possible, to extend that to To Soon June? When left in the spring little surprises happen, like field poppies. It is barren here, insect life is minimal, and if plants are allowed to grow wildly, letters are received from the Association to 'tidy up' the space. 2. The only bird life, (which I do appreciate, but it is shocking that there are no garden birds) are magpie, crow, pigeon and seagull. A hedgehog did visit my space one year, to visit the water I leave out. Can we have some level of education of organisations like Housing Associations and their residents on the importance of biodiversity? Also to inform on misguided 'labour-saving' gravel, that just gradually accumulates humus and is a devil to weed whilst the ground beneath becomes devoid of life and nutrients.

Nicola Tanner2 weeks ago

unknown author2 days ago This seems to be an excellent and well thought through strategy. It's building on Frome's existing natural assets as well as the town's active and engaged community, which is a huge asset in itself. As I write this (during the fifth heat wave of summer 2026) the role of nature in mitigating the impact of climate change and providing safety and sanctuary during these extremes seems more important than ever. I'm not an expert on species protection or habitat restoration - and nor did I manage to read all 65 pages of the report - but would agree with the emphasis on rivers and wildlife corridors, particularly where these can provide benefits to local residents in terms of shade and places to rest and find solace. I also agree with the suggestion to ensure Nature is included 'within all reviews of policy for planning, land management and climate adaptation' - and would suggest going even further: to consider how Nature can be represented in the council chamber and in all deliberation about the future of our town. There is some useful language around engaging communities in here, but I wonder if this could be stronger. Many of these measures will require active participation from the community, and making sure that people feel part of the story of nature's recovery feels crucial to the success of this work now and for generations to come. Recent events like the Wildlife Parade and River Festival are an excellent example, and more should be done to unite the community in our love of nature and bring this sense of shared identity into the open. On funding: the plan is honest that most of Frome's nature recovery will run on developer contributions and grant funding, but that's also a risk. It might strengthen the plan to call for real creativity in how delivery is funded, rather than relying on these two routes alone. Philanthropic funders with a track record in rewilding and land restoration are one option. Corporate sponsorship is another - brands looking to attach themselves to a credible, community-rooted nature project, in the way sports clubs or festivals take on sponsors. Community share offers are a third: Mayday Saxonvale has just shown what's possible here. A green bond is a fourth - a way for residents, local businesses or even pension funds to invest in Frome's natural capital with a modest return, rather than treating nature recovery purely as a cost. Naming a handful of these routes, rather than defaulting to grants and developer contributions, would signal that the council is thinking as creatively about funding this plan as it has about the ecology behind it. In this context, I'm also interested in how Nature can become a driver of Frome's economic prosperity, providing jobs and entrepreneurial activities within the town. We receive thousands of visitors each year to attractions like Longleat and Center Parcs - how might we make our town a nature attraction in itself? How can we encourage nature based businesses - camping, birdwatching, climbing etc - to locate in and around Frome, bringing employment with them? Finally, I think we can leverage the growing understanding of nature's value to our health and wellbeing - for both citizens and biodiversity. The Medical Practice is already offering groundbreaking Nature provision through Green Social Prescribing and the 'Better Through Nature' programme, how can the council support this more fully - including in the design of spaces and amenities which facilitate ecotherapy around the medical practice and beyond. Overall, I am deeply impressed with this report and proud to live and work in a town which places Nature at the heart of its vision.

Rob Frith2 days ago A community-led bioacoustic monitoring network across Frome using BirdWeather PUC Bat Edition devices. The project will enable volunteers, the town councils, schools and community groups to monitor both bat and bird activity through automated acoustic recording and cloud-based analysis. The BirdWeather PUC Bat Edition captures ultrasonic bat echolocation alongside bird vocalisations, providing an innovative and accessible way for communities to understand local biodiversity. See the station at Vallis Farm https://tweetsheet.app/species?station=2951&period=all

unknown author3 weeks ago There’s huge scope to enhance the river in the town, it’s currently very poor and neglected. A plan to improve it for nature and people should be put in place and involve everyone including local community, wildlife trusts, environment agency etc. it should be as comprehensive as possible to include from Feltham Lane, to Rodden Nature Reserve, Rodden Meadow, town centre out to Whatcombe. Huge potential. We are also very lucky to have Jeremy Wade as a Frome resident who would no doubt love to be involved in any initiatives, and would be a huge asset and champion.

Janet Hague3 hours ago Thanks for the opportunity to input into this incredibly important and thorough document. The local community in Packsaddle have done a lot of work over the past few years on nature recovery and community involvement at Packsaddle Fields. We worked with the Somerset Wildlife Trust to produce a Biodiversity Enhancement Strategy that would improve the Fields for both wildlife and people, contribute to Frome Town and Somerset Council's policies on Climate and Biodiversity, and which happily aligns with the visions, aims and objectives in FTC's Nature Recovery Plan - particularly under Habitat Creation and Land Management, Species Recovery in Built Environment, Community Action and Monitoring, and Planning Policy and Partnerships. We also fully align with SC's LNRS. Please see our Vision Document below, particularly the Appendix, which lists notable species to be found at the Fields, and a suggested Action Plan to achieve the enhancement of the Fields for nature and the community alike. A Brighter Future for Packsaddle Community Fields - People for Packsaddle ( https://peopleforpacksaddle.org/a-brighter-future-for-packsaddle-community-fields/ ) Packsaddle Fields are a unique space of 8.8 acres that contains open fields of grassland, which have had no pesticides, herbicides or artificial inputs for decades; it contains hundreds of metres of significant hedgerow and dry stone walls noted on the Cruse map of 1813 and still present today; and supports protected and notable species such as the greater and lesser horseshoe bat, hedgehog and barn owl. The fields are neither urban, nor countryside in character, so are unique and valuable in different categories - meadows / grassland / trees / hedgerows / scrub, and can provide an important addition to the local wildlife corridors in the wider area. A major step to realising this vision will be to get the Fields into community ownership. We welcome every opportunity to work with FTC to make this Vision a reality, to help Frome's nature thrive with the input of the community that lives close by.

Andy Jones3 weeks ago

unknown author18 hours ago This is great document that sets out context and highlights the strategic opportunities for recovering nature in Frome. I personally felt that it lacked specific details around the actions that will be taken and it came across as more of a strategic document rather than a plan. I'm glad to see the River Frome highlight are one of the key natural assets that could be improved to support nature recovery objectives but I think the document has overlooked many of the key issues impacting the River Frome: 1) The river has been heavily modified and engineered to act as a flood conveyance scheme which means it lacks natural form and process. As such, the in-channel and riparian habitat is poor throughout the majority of the reach that flows through the town. It would be entirely possible to create a more diverse and naturally functioning river channel throughout the town without compromising the integrity of the flood scheme. The biggest barrier will be cost. 2) The report mentioned the impact of the weirs on connectivity but didn't explain the major impact these structures have on the habitat or interuption to natural processes such as the transport of sediment. The weirs will also exacerbated water quality issues and will cause contaminants to be deposited in the town. 3) There have been several major pollution events on the River Frome in recent years causing mass fish kills. As such, we cannot overlook the importance of addressing issues upstream of Frome. It's also important to note that the weirs in Frome make the aquatic ecology very vulnerable to pollution events. 4) like many lowland rivers in the UK, historic dredging and land drainage works have turned the River Frome into a drainage channel rather than a function river system. The river is massively disconnected from its floodplain, sediment transport is poor, the morphology is poor and the hydrology lacks diversity and complexity. Urban rivers like the River Frome, are now too constrained to restore natural function so co sideration should be given to restoring the river upstream and downstream of the town. This should also include upstream measures to retain more water in the landscape to mitigate against drought and prolonged dry weather. This will help the river become more resilient to the effects of climate change.

Tim Bentley2 weeks ago I created the Frome Millennium Tree project in 1999 and planted around 2300 trees including at the Dippy plus hundreds of trees across all the schools and numerous street trees. As part of Frome Festival, I recently lead two tree walks to show people how the trees have transformed many areas of the town. I would be happy to share my experiences that may help future tree planting initiatives in the town.

Samantha Evans3 weeks ago I think this is an excellent and well-informed Nature Recovery Plan that seems to reflect both current ecological thinking and the strengths of Frome's community. Its emphasis on ecological connectivity, river restoration, climate adaptation and community participation is particularly strong. My main suggestion would be to strengthen the delivery framework by identifying a smaller number of headline priorities, setting more measurable ecological outcomes, and placing greater emphasis on long-term habitat management and partnerships with private landowners and community organisations. It doesn't always distinguish between essential priorities versus nice additional projects. Identifying the five highest priorities for the next five years would help concentrate effort and funding. More recognition of the importance of private landowners is important. The plan discusses gardens well. However many of the most significant ecological gains around Frome will depend upon partnerships with farmers,estates, churches, schools, and businesses There needs to be more attention to ecological management over time. Creating habitat is relatively easy. Managing habitat for decades is the difficult part. I would like more discussion around, long-term funding, management agreements, monitoring, adaptive management, succession planning for volunteers. Otherwise excellent projects can slowly deteriorate. Where I think it could be stronger is in having more measurable ecological outcomes. The objectives are generally activity-based rather than outcome-based. For example there are targets like: -produce management plans -hold consultations --undertake surveys -engage volunteers These are useful but they don't necessarily tell us whether nature is actually recovering. I would like to see other ecological outcome indicators such as: -% increase in tree canopy cover -hectares of species-rich grassland restored -kilometres of connected hedgerow -river phosphate reduction targets (where influence exists) -increase in breeding bird populations -increase in pollinator abundance -increase in priority species occupancy etc etc etc Its a good foundation for nature recovery in Frome and has the potential to become an exemplar for other towns if implemented effectively.

unknown author4 weeks ago The best way to get bees and wildlife you need highly pollenated flowers. You need flowers with wetter nectar you don't need wild weed areas (ragwort and pernicious weeds). The green areas of Frome are a mess. EG the road verges and roundabout by Asda and along Clink are 2 examples of this message. It makes the town look unkempt. Our garden with loads of perennials and some annuals is full of pretty flowers and attracts bumblebees and numerous insects plus we get Hedghogs.

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