Somerset Council elections for seats in the new unitary authority, which comes into being on 1st April 2023, took place on 5th May. Our successful candidates were:
SHANE COLLINS - Mendip District councillor and Green Party candidate for Frome East
I was elected in Keyford Ward, Frome to Mendip Disrict Council (MDC) in 2015 along with two other Greens, then re-elected in 2019 to make 10 Green councillors on MDC - one of the highest number in the country. I have proposed motions with cross-party support demanding MDC get to net zero emissions by 2030, banned use of single use plastics by MDC, and asked the government to introduce a Universal Basic Income (UBI) in Mendip.
I have been putting much effort into Frome Hoedown, where people hoe their streets so that MDC and ID Verde do not have to use Roundup in our streets. So far MDC have not sprayed Roundup for around 18 months, big thanks to the scores of people who have got involved. We meet on the last Sunday of the month via the Frome Hoedown FB page. So let's meet the neighbours with hoes and shovels and tidy this town.
I have been a Green activist since becoming aware of climate change in the late 80s, working with many community and campaign groups. My daytime job is a director of the UK's greenest festival - the Green Gathering.
There is little scientific doubt that we are heading for climate chaos unless we make large societal changes and get to net zero carbon emissions in the next 8-9 years. If we don’t, we will be over 1.5degC in less than 10 years, 2degC in 20 to 30 years and 3degC in 50-60 years. However, we do know that climate change affects cohesive, equal communities less than divided unequal societies, and the Greens will do what we can to carry on building a more equal, cohesive community in Frome.
I was elected to Mendip District council for the first time in 2019 representing Keyford ward which is a ‘growth zone’ for new housing. Since then I’ve been on the Mendip planning board and worked alongside Frome Town Council to improve many planning decisions in Frome and across the district. As I’ve become familiar with Mendip’s ‘Local Plan’ (planning) policies, I’ve realised they need updating but that’s been delayed due to forthcoming change to a Unitary authority. So at Feb 2021 full council meeting I put forward a motion that was passed, to create ‘Supplementary Planning documents’ that set higher sustainability standards for developers, and to create a Green Infrastructure Plan.
When we become a Unitary authority it's likely we will (finally) review all such policies across Somerset and create a new ‘Local Plan’. I want to ensure that creating really sustainable communities is at its core. New homes should be zero carbon with renewables embedded into the design. Allotments, cycling, walking and bus routes should be integrated from the start. We should respect our green and pleasant land, preserving our ecology and landscapes wherever possible while still providing housing, and make a greater proportion of it truly affordable. And if planning board does approve Selwood Garden Community outline application, I will work hard to ensure it is the best it can be.
My background is in teaching, the charity sector, and as a local government officer. I was at Wiltshire Council when they became Unitary so know some of the issues we’ll probably encounter in Somerset during our Transition year 22/23. In particular: I want the Local Community Networks to fulfil their potential for local decision making; I want ‘assets’ - including open spaces - transferred to Frome Town Council where at all practicable; we should maximise the devolution of budgets downwards, and maximise the ‘voice’ of local communities back up to the centre in Taunton.
About 10 years ago I took early retirement owing to some minor disabilities. I volunteered in the community, in various ways, e.g. as a Director of the CIC ‘Sustainable Frome’ with responsibility for running monthly meetings, and as a teacher of English as a Second Language with Frome Community Education. I also helped teach a project for Christchurch First school on how to grow vegetables. If elected as a County/Unitary councillor I would do my best to ensure disabled people have equal opportunities. I would support refugee programs, including English Language provision to assist with speedy integration. I would support organic small-scale food growing for individuals and businesses, through the planning system, or via land rental schemes, or business rates relief. And I would do what I can to support voluntary groups creating happy, healthy and resilient communities.
In my free time I enjoy pilates, singing, gardening, and occasionally dancing to live music!
MARTIN DIMERY - Somerset County Councillor and Green Party candidate for Frome West
Martin, along with John Clarke, made history in 2017, when they became the first ever Green Party councillors elected to serve on Somerset County Council, the highest tier of local government. Both Martin and John made a massive impact at County Hall in Taunton, proposing successful motions on the ban on single use plastics in county run institutions, and requesting the government move Covid Test and Trace away from commercial operators and into the hands of council public health experts. They were powerful advocates behind the declaration of a Climate Emergency, and took up a number of local causes, including protecting the personal support given to young people with physical and learning disabilities, initiating a parking review of Frome, and helping release substantial grants to Frome Town Council towards improving highways and cycle tracks in the Frome area.
Martin, as Green Party Leader in Somerset, has been actively engaged on a number of important committees on Somerset County Council, notably the Children and Families Scrutiny committee, dealing with the education, fostering, and social welfare of children. He has been a major voice in demanding that Frome no longer be 'the forgotten town of Somerset', ensuring that the area receives its fair share of the resources available. This was particularly important when lobbying for Test and Trace centres to be set up in the town during the Covid outbreaks.
Martin regularly attends meetings at Frome Town and Selwood Parish councils, supporting their needs and concerns. He is an active supporter of the Mayday Saxonvale development and recently spoke on behalf of the local communities campaigning against the over-expansion of the quarries in the Nunney, Chantry and Mells areas. He stood as one of the Green Party candidates for South West England in the last EU Election when the party achieved a creditable third place overall, ahead of both Conservatives and Labour.
Martin is familiar to many in Frome as a former teacher at Frome College who went on to become Programme Manager at the Cheese and Grain hall and Creative Director of the Frome Festival. He and his wife Anne first moved to Frome in 1983 and their three children attended local schools. They now have three granddaughters and take an active part in the cultural life of the town. "It was one of my proudest contributions to life in Frome when John Clarke and I became two out of the three Somerset County councillors representing the area" says Martin. "The Green Party has since gone on to increase its representation on Mendip District from three to ten councillors, several of whom will be standing for the new Somerset Council. If elected, we have a duty to ensure that Frome's distinctive voice is heard on all matters, to help make the town as well resourced, prosperous, and environmentally friendly as possible for the benefit of generations to come."
MICHAEL DUNK - Mendip District councillor and Green Party candidate for Frome West
I represent Frome Market Ward at Mendip District Council and do my best to help people in Frome with the problems they come to me with. The casework is varied but often focuses on housing conditions; there are issues with the quality of affordable property in both private and social sectors. I do what I can to support local groups and continue to volunteer for the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE); we help people with issues relating to energy in the home, especially in 'fuel poverty' and living in badly insulated and sub-standard homes. I feel strongly about being a voice for those in our community who are less fortunate and act on their behalf whenever I am asked.
I moved to Frome over 35 years ago, eventually having a workshop here where I made models for museums and exhibition designers. I have two grown-up daughters and with my partner we work on improving the house and its large garden, mainly using recycled materials. We try to create habitats for wildlife and grow our own fruit and veg. Frome needs to be represented by people who care about its future, who speak up with a strong voice in the new unitary Somerset Council; I'm prepared to do that. I have been very vocal on issues such as Saxonvale which I voted against at Planning Board; the Acorn scheme does not best serve the needs of Frome. Elect me in May and I will continue to work hard on behalf of the community.
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