New proposal outlines plan for Badgers Hill Stadium

A new proposal outlining the future of Badgers Hill Stadium has been submitted by a potential private operator, following the rejection of an earlier plan by Frome Town Council.

The revised proposal by Badgers Hill Ltd (BHL), the group behind the plan, sets out a detailed vision for the stadium’s future, promising guaranteed access for local teams, strong community governance, and significant financial and social benefits for the town.

It follows an extraordinary meeting of Frome Town Council on Wednesday 18th June, where councillors voted to leave the door open for a revised plan that offered clearer and more guaranteed community benefits.

After a lengthy debate in a confidential session – closed to the public and press – the chair of Frome Town Council, Cllr Fiona Barrows, said that ‘after a lot of careful thought’, councillors ‘could not support the proposal as it stood’.

Since then, Badgers Hill Ltd has submitted a revised business plan with the details published on the Badgers Hill Facebook page. It promises guaranteed pitch access at no cost for Frome Town Women and Frome Town United for the duration of the lease, free season tickets for players, and youth engagement through mascot roles and family-friendly activities. All maintenance and utilities would be covered by BHL.

Community initiatives

The proposal outlines 11 core community initiatives including free tickets for children at midweek matches, tickets for Fair Frome, Sunday meals, youth clubs, and other groups. It also pledges to hold 50 to 80 public events each year across health, arts, sport and education, with impact reviewed quarterly and reported annually to the council.

Financially, the plan proposes £23,000 in annual income, and over £50,000 in measurable community benefit through programmes, services and stewardship. It states that BHL would cover all staffing, utilities and maintenance, removing any operational burden from the council. Badgers Hill Ltd is a UK-registered company that would assume full lease responsibilities, with Frome Town FC acting as guarantor to provide local accountability and security.

New chapter

A statement posted alongside the proposal reads,

“Badgers Hill is entering a new chapter — one that must reflect all of Frome. We’re especially calling on women and underrepresented voices to help shape what this space becomes… Tell us your story. Share your idea. Help us build a place where everyone feels they belong. Because community isn’t built by committees alone — it’s built by people who speak up.”

Responding to the revised proposal, Cllr Fiona Barrows said Frome Town Council ‘welcomes the new proposal’ and will ‘consider it carefully.’

“Our priority remains protecting Badgers Hill as a vital community asset, both as a football club and more,” said Cllr Barrows. “Having secured the site from repossession three years ago and with almost £1million of public money and grants invested into the site since, we have a responsibility to safeguard this investment for our community. Any business plan must be truly sustainable and have community benefit at their heart. We all want Badgers Hill to remain for generations to come.

Common ground

“Ultimately, we’re all on the same team; tribal tensions have dominated the conversation and get in the way of the shared passion, vision and common ground that must take central stage now.”

At the first extraordinary meeting, stakeholders of Frome Town FC shared their views, with Lester Silk of Frome Town Supporters Club urging the council to support the lessee’s proposal but chair of the Community Benefit Society, Max Hirst, ‘respectfully urging’ the council to reject the lease-to-buy plan and ‘keep Badgers Hill in the community.’

The revised plan is due to be considered at the next public council meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday 2nd July.