Frome Town Council removes exclusive lease rights for Badgers Hill
Third parties can now bid for the site
Frome Town Council has voted to revoke the exclusive right of Badgers Hill Ltd (BHL) to lease or buy the Badgers Hill site.
The decision was made during an extraordinary council meeting on 10th December following a lack of response from BHL regarding the lease and concerns raised by health and safety, fire, and legionella assessments at the site.
While BHL will retain their current tenancy at will arrangement and the operation of Frome Town AFC, the council decided that third parties will now also be allowed to bid to lease or buy Badgers Hill.
Submissions, including business plans, can be made by January 2026, and reviewed at the full council meeting scheduled for March 2026.
BHL representatives, including new board member Martyn Starnes and David Parry, addressed the meeting. They acknowledged the challenges faced to date, citing family issues experienced by BHL’s investor Courtney Fong.
Starnes also disclosed he has been approached to step up as CEO for BHL, drawing on his experience with Yeovil Town, Bristol Rovers and Plymouth Argyle. He has yet to decide on the role but requested an extension of exclusivity until January 2026 to allow time for a business plan to be prepared.
Councillors ultimately voted to move to an open tender process immediately, by a small majority, but emphasised their openness to receiving a full business plan from BHL. They also made clear expectations that health and safety concerns on-site must be urgently addressed.
Frome Town FC says it wants to explore the best way to continue playing at Badgers Hill and it's committed to working with the Council in the coming months. The club say they will issue a further statement today (Thursday).