An extraordinary council meeting of Frome Town Council on Wednesday 10 December has been called to discuss the running of Badgers Hill. As interest in the meeting is expected to be high, booking is essential via the link at the foot of the article.
Please note the new meeting start time of 6pm to allow for a home match at Badgers Hill.
Councillors agreed to a commercial proposal from newly-formed company Badgers Hill Limited to take on the lease of Badgers Hill in July. To enable the 2025 football season to proceed, a temporary ‘tenancy at will’ agreement was reached to allow for the completion of legal paperwork. As of December 2025, the lease has not been signed and no rent has been received from Badgers Hill Ltd. The extraordinary meeting has been called to discuss urgent next steps.
Cllr Fiona Barrows, Chair and Leader of FTC said “FTC knows how important Badgers Hill is, both from a community asset point of view and to Frome’s footballing tradition. It’s why we stepped in to save the ground from imminent repossession in 2022, why we’ve invested significant amounts of taxpayers’ money since and worked with the football club and CBS to secure grant funding to undertake vital works. There is more to do, but when we agreed the tenancy with Courtney Fong, it was clearly on a sold-as-seen basis, and for a full repairing and maintenance lease. Due diligence around the condition of the site was, and remains, their responsibility.
“In early September, the current tenants requested that the Town Council defer their first rent payment and fund a new boiler for the site. Having invested a great deal in the site already, and with nothing currently budgeted for this work, we were hesitant but prepared to consider the proposals on receipt of requested information and commitments – but these have not been provided.
“In addition, we have serious concerns about management, particularly around health and safety. Among other concerns, works have been undertaken without our permission or building regulations approval and a fire safety report we commissioned identified 22 urgent items. We have already funded urgent remedial works and attempted to work with Badgers Hill Ltd to address these issues. However, they have not responded promptly or in a manner appropriate to their severity.
“We do remain hopeful that Badgers Hill Ltd can overcome the challenges and take this project forward, but the current situation cannot continue and a public discussion is needed to address this important issue that affects all users of the stadium. As a community we need to find a long-term sustainable solution, that provides investment in the site and the strong management Badgers Hill desperately needs. We cannot keep stepping into help. Our responsibility is to the whole of Frome, not only to the football club.
Correspondence about Badgers Hill is welcome at any time by email to engage@frometowncouncil.gov.uk, or by calling 01373 465757 in office hours. Book a free ticket for the extraordinary meeting on Wednesday 10 December from 6pm at https://bit.ly/extraordinary-meeting-10-dec-25.
