principles

Selwood Garden Community (SGC) will comprise 21st century neighbourhoods displaying the distinctive landscape characteristics of Frome: steep hillsides, riverside meadows, wooded streams and expansive views.

SGC will transform privately owned agricultural land into community meadows, woodlands, orchards, parks, and allotments creating a rich network of green spaces bringing nature into the fabric of the community. All Frome residents will be invited to enjoy a close relationship with nature within the site.

Sustainability will be evident in all aspects of the design and construction and early phases will set a benchmark for ambition. SGC will aim to establish low carbon infrastructure across all of the systems that support our day-to-day lives including renewable energy generation.

An extensive network of footpaths and cycleways will lie at the heart of the new neighbourhoods encouraging sociable interaction. Strategic cycle and footpath routes to the station, town centre, schools, and local villages will complement local routes to on-the-doorstep green spaces. The new community will be designed to accommodate new ways of living and working, facilitating drone deliveries, electric cars, e-bikes, scooter usage, home and local-hub working.

As well as much needed housing, SGC will provide spaces which respond to the changing needs of workers and employers. There will be a wide range of shared workspaces, start-up / grow-on business spaces and enabled home working, all supported by a super-fast broadband service.

SGC will be an inclusive and accessible community, a place where people will want to live, work, learn, shop, relax and explore. It will deliver a wide range of beautiful homes with a mix of tenures providing much-need housing, including affordable homes. Distinctive townscapes that echo Frome’s built heritage will be created with a focus on sustainability and healthy living. SGC will demonstrate high quality placemaking, sustainable construction and respect for the natural environment.

SGC will be comprehensively planned working hand in hand with new and existing communities to support local decision making, community ownership and ensuring high quality community assets are created and maintained. SGC will aspire to long term, collaborative, proactive, and entrepreneurial stewardship to create a legacy that all can be proud of.