A PLAN to lease the home of Frome Town AFC to a private investor, with the option to buy, has been rejected by town chiefs – for now.
Frome Town Council (FTC) held an Extraordinary Town Council meeting on yesterday (June 5) to hear from supporters and opponents of a proposal that would have seen Badgers Hill leased out, with the tenant having an option to purchase the site.
Councillors were tasked with making a decision over the future of the ground – and eventually rejected the scheme before it.
However, after lengthy confidential discussions due to the financial nature of the plans, they left the door open for further proposals.
“As the private operator’s proposal stands, we consider that the legal criteria for best consideration has not yet been met,” the council said.
“We would like to leave the door open for the private operator to improve their offer in relation to guaranteed long term community benefit.”
The future of Badgers Hill Stadium in Frome has been up for discussion. Picture: Google
Ahead of the confidential session, the meeting heard from a number of stakeholders, including Frome Town AFC coach Danny Greaves and Lester Silk of Frome Town Supporters Club, who urged the council to accept the offer of the anonymous investor.
Frome Town Community Benefit Society (FTCBS) chair Max Hirst, however, spoke in opposition to the plan.
Tara Tomley, of Frome Town Women, Lee Seviour, chair of Frome Town United, a partnership of Frome Town Robins, Frome Town Women and Frome Collegians, also spokes, as well as Darren Bernstein of the Football Supporters Association (FSA) – which said the business okan for the proposal was ‘flawed’.
After their confidential deliberations, FTC chair, Cllr Fiona Barrows, said: “We understand how much this asset means to so many people and I just want to emphasise the fact that we have taken this decision incredibly carefully.
“There’s been a lot of deliberation, not just tonight, but in the last few weeks and months.”
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She said the debate posed “a very complicated question and a complicated decision” that revolved around two questions the council is “legally obliged to consider”.
She went on: “The first is: is there sufficient community benefit to the proposal to warrant a discounted rent? The second is: are there adequate safeguards within the Heads of Terms to protect these benefits and the council’s interest?
“Having discussed and debated it, we don’t believe either is the case with the proposal as it stands.”
Cllr Barrows added: “However, we would like to leave the door open to the private operator to improve their offer in relation to guaranteed long-term community benefit.”
My late husband and I joined the CBS hoping to see the Frome Town Football Club and the clubhouse thrive. Sadly over the last 15 months the clubhouse has become an empty shell. No skittles, darts or pool teams; the club was not even open for the cup final!! The only regular activity is bingo, which I attend every week. There used to be food available, this is no longer an option. Please do the right thing for the sake of Frome Town or we will lose both the team and clubhouse forever.