A potential new operator is in talks with Frome Town Council to take over the running of Badgers Hill Stadium, after efforts to run the site through a Community Benefit Society struggled to gain momentum.
Badgers Hill Stadium, home of Frome Town FC, was saved from repossession in 2022 when Frome Town Council paid off the club’s substantial debts, securing an option to buy the ground for £1, which it exercised in 2023.
The stadium was then handed to the newly-formed Frome Town Community Benefit Society (CBS) to manage it as a community asset.
However, speaking at a full council meeting on Wednesday 30th April, the council’s economic development manager and deputy town clerk Peter Wheelhouse said, “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 operator about the possibility of them taking on that responsibility.
Ongoing negotiations
“Negotiations are ongoing and there is still some way to go before a council decision can be taken. What we can say is that we understand there is a commitment from the potential new operator to support women’s and youth football alongside men’s football and the continuation of community benefit in the stadium.”
Women’s football concerns
Despite the council’s comments, Frome Town Women FC say they have not been ‘explicitly’ included in the new plans. Speaking at the meeting, team manager Tara Tomley called for a written guarantee to ensure the club can continue playing at Badgers Hill, their home for the past 25 years.
“We aren’t asking for special treatment; we are asking to be included properly, respectfully and transparently – and actually that is all we have ever asked,” she said.
“Please don’t support a vision of Frome’s future that leaves girls and women on the sidelines. We don’t want to fight for our place; we just want to belong. Our footprint is light; our impact is not.”
Community involvement
Local MP Anna Sabine supported the team’s concerns, urging councillors to include women’s football in any formal lease agreement.
She also stressed the importance of involving the community in the decision-making process.
“I hope councillors will carefully consider the legacy that this collective effort and investment will leave for the people of Frome,” she said. “Not just for today but for generations to come.”
At the end of the meeting, the council went into a closed session to discuss financial details of the proposed lease. Cllr Fiona Barrows criticised the decision, saying it was “wrong” for discussions about the future of a public building to take place behind closed doors.
