The future of a training facility for people in Somerset is to be safeguarded by an agreement between the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Frome Town Council.

The partners are discussing a proposed deal which would see the HCA sell the former Western Woodcraft site in Saxonvale, Frome, to the council to lead the redevelopment. The site currently hosts the Saxonvale Centre training project, which helps people improve their skills and access job opportunities. As part of the agreement, the council plans to work with the partners involved in the project to secure its long-term future accommodation in the town.

It is anticipated that the agreement will be concluded by December. The council then intends to work with a developer partner to lead the regeneration of the site. This will enable the council to provide alternative accommodation for the training project by using the proceeds raised through the future sale of the site to a developer partner.

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The Western Woodcraft project transferred from the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) to the HCA in September 2011 as part of a national transfer of almost 300 sites from England’s RDAs. Since then, the HCA has been working with partners to find a solution which secures the long-term future of the Saxonvale Centre and unlocks the potential of the site, which is earmarked for residential development.

Ian Knight, HCA Head of Area, said: "We have been working with Frome Town Council and its partners for a number of months to find a solution that benefits users of the Saxonvale Centre, which carries out important work in the area, and the wider community. We recognise the importance of the project and the site and this agreement will help safeguard the training project whilst also giving some certainty to the future of the Saxonvale site. That can only be good news for Frome and I am pleased that we’ve been able to work together on this project."

(CD/IT)