In the Somerset town of Frome, something quietly revolutionary is happening, a long-debated piece of land in the town centre officially moved into community hands. This decision marks the beginning of a housing project shaped not by developers or investors, but by the people who will live and work there.
The project, known as Mayday Saxonvale, is a non-profit, community-led initiative to transform a five-hectare brownfield site into an inclusive, sustainable neighbourhood. It reflects a rare but growing movement in the UK where ordinary people have come together to design housing and public spaces that truly reflect local needs.
The Mayday Saxonvale isn’t focusing on financial profits, instead the plan prioritises affordability and access for the community. The proposed development includes a mix of social and affordable housing, green public spaces, creative workspaces, and facilities for youth and community services. The project also includes further plans for sustainable vising and tourism, with a hotel in future development plans.
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This holistic approach is designed not only to meet housing needs but also to nurture wellbeing, economic opportunity, and civic pride. It’s a powerful counterpoint to the kind of high-cost, high-profit housing developments that often exclude the very people they’re meant to serve.
The road to this milestone has been anything but simple. The site has long been the subject of debate and legal wrangling, with competing visions for how it should be developed. While commercial plans faced community pushback for lacking affordability and failing to align with Frome’s values, Mayday Saxonvale offered an alternative vision- one that steadily gained public support.
Backed by local organisations and run by a team of residents, architects, and planners, the project has demonstrated how communities can organise, plan, and negotiate effectively, even within a complex development landscape.
Now, with the land secured, Frome becomes one of the few UK towns to embark on a community-led development of this scale. It builds on the town’s wider reputation for progressive local governance and civic innovation. Frome has long been known for experimenting with new models of democracy, including citizen assemblies, independent local politics, and cooperative business ventures. This housing initiative reflects the same spirit of bottom-up leadership.
The project also shows a change in how the UK thinks about housing. Across the country, rising rents, and lack of affordability have prompted increasing interest in community land trusts, and resident-led design. Mayday Saxonvale could serve as a blueprint, showing that it’s not only possible to do things differently, but that communities desire change.
To find more about the project, click here.
