Council buys water meadow to protect 'haven'

A town council along with campaigners have raised more than £37,000 to buy a water meadow in Somerset along the River Frome.

Frome Town Council says the land will now be protected as a "haven for the people and wildlife" at Adderwell Water Meadow.

In 2020, the council adopted a rivers strategy by campaigners Friends of the Frome, who were concerned at the state of the waterway, and the impact of sewage pollution and development.

Councillor Mark Dorrington said: "This land has vital benefits for biodiversity and in time will create recreational spaces".

Chairman of Friends of the River Frome Mike Bull said: "Water Meadows are becoming scarcer but they're needed more than ever to help with the climate emergency".

A crowdfunder was started in December with the town council agreeing to purchase the land for £75,000.

The authority had already raised £50,000 and an extra £37,000 was generated, over £10,000 more than they had hoped to raise.

Mr Bull said: "We're excited to work with Frome Town Council in the coming months to prepare a management plan for the site.

"We will also be planning an event in the late summer to celebrate and thank everyone for their help in protecting this important site."

Part of Friends of the Frome's 10-year plan for the river is to improve access to it via the town, with a pledge to build a footbridge connecting Adderwell to the nearby residential areas of Edmund Park and Caxton Road.

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