At April’s Council meeting held on Wednesday 30th April, Peter Wheelhouse, Economic and Development Manager and Deputy Town Clerk at Frome Town Council gave the following statement regarding discussions around Badger’s Hill. At a confidential session of the meeting, Cllrs decided they needed more time to think, discuss and explore before reaching a decision. You can read the full statement below:
“Councillors and the community will be aware that in 2022, the Town Council paid off substantial debts owed by the football club as owners of Badgers Hill stadium to remove the threat of imminent repossession. This saved the football ground and enabled football to continue to be played there.
Our loan repayment that was agreed with the football club was in return for an option to acquire the stadium for the community for £1. In 2023, we exercised that option and at the same time we worked with the national Football Supporters Association to establish the Frome Town Community Benefit Society (the CBS) to manage the stadium. At the same time, we worked with the football club, the CBS and the FSA to secure approximately £0.5 million of grant aid to enable essential repairs and improvements – primarily new changing rooms. This project is now virtually complete.
For many reasons, it has proved difficult for the CBS to gain traction in its efforts to manage and develop the stadium as a sporting and community asset and recently, the Council has been in discussion with a potential new lessee about the possibility of them taking on that responsibility.
Negotiations are ongoing and there is still some way to go before a Council decision can be taken.
The financial details of some of the elements of the draft lease will be discussed in confidential session at the end of tonight’s meeting but what we can say is that we understand that there is a commitment from the potential lessee to support youth and women’s football alongside men’s football and the continuation of community benefit from the stadium.”
