The Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks Preservation Group has received sufficient pledges and offers of bridging loans from the community to potentially bring part of Rodborough Fields into public ownership, it has been announced.
An informal tender was submitted on 1 April on behalf of the Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks Preservation Group, with the aim of purchasing the section of Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks between Arundel Drive and the River Frome. The group was supported by the Stroud Common Wealth – a Community Benefit Society who submitted the informal tender on their behalf.
Following the launch of the campaign on 20 March, the group had just 13 days to bring together a bid ahead of the informal tender deadline on 2 April 2025. The campaign has received more than 400 pledges from people in Rodborough, Stroud and around the world in response to their appeal. Together with loan offers these pledges showed that the group would have enough funds to bring part of Rodborough Fields into public ownership.
A spokesperson for the Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks Preservation Group said: “The response to our campaign has been amazing, and we are within reach of bringing part of Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks into public ownership.
“The fields were for sale in two lots and the time allowed only enabled us to prepare a tender for one of these. However, the public response has been so strong that with more time we are certain we would have been able to raise enough funds for the whole site. We couldn’t be prouder of what the community has been able to achieve in the time available.
“Our tender may be submitted, but this is only the start, and the campaign certainly does not stop here. We still need your pledges, and we hope all those who support our aims will continue to help us spread the word about our appeal to support bringing this part of Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks into public ownership.
“If our bid is successful, further pledges are definitively still needed to help provide a secure future for this important green space, ensuring that we do not have to rely on bridging loans, and have the funds to meet our aims of boosting biodiversity and providing community access.
“We are grateful to the more than 400 people who have pledged so far to support our campaign, to those who have offered loans, and to Stroud Common Wealth, who are supporting us while we formally incorporate as an organisation. We are also grateful to Stroud Valleys Project, Rodborough Parish Council and the National Trust for their support.”
About Rodborough Fields
Rodborough Fields is a fine example of the species-rich lowland calcareous grassland which makes the Cotswolds so special. In recent years, cattle have grazed there but no artificial fertilisers or pesticides have been used, leading to the fields becoming a key wildlife site and a fine example of hay meadows which are covered with swathes of wildflowers in the summer attracting butterflies, insects and birds. Running alongside the fields is the clear, unpolluted River Frome with its wonderful tree-lined banks, home for birds including kingfisher, dipper and grey wagtail. Mammals including several species of bat and even otters use the river.
For more, see https://rodboroughfields.org.uk/
About the Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks Preservation Group
In response to a once in a lifetime opportunity to buy Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks, the Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks Preservation Group launched a ‘Buy Rodborough Fields’ campaign in March 2025, appealing to the public to pledge what they could donate to the campaign to show organisers how much money could be raised. The group held stalls in Stroud Farmers’ Market on 22 and 29 March and a public meeting at the Prince Albert on Sunday 23 March. The campaign has been supported by Stroud Valleys Project, Rodborough Parish Council and the National Trust.
The group’s initial priorities for Rodborough Fields and Frome Banks are likely to be to:
- Maintaining and enhancing community access
- Supporting nature recovery, with the pastureland returning to meadows rich in flowers and insects. This is likely to involve conservation grazing with a small herd of cattle
- Ensuring the Frome Banks woods and riverbank are well maintained
- Using the meadows and river banks for education and volunteering
- Exploring options like a community orchard, a spring fed pond and a circular walking route
- Securing grants to enable the land to continue to be managed for the benefit of nature and the local community.
For more, see https://rodboroughfields.org.uk/
About Stroud Common Wealth
Stroud Common Wealth (SCW) has been active in Stroud for over 25 years. Its ethos is to acquire property and then pass it on to a suitable community organisation when that organisation is in a position to acquire and manage it. SCW started out by purchasing Lansdown Hall and handing it to a specially established charity at no profit. Since then, SCWS has acquired and managed a number of community properties, including the Exchange in Brick Row, and supported other organisations in acquiring and developing assets in the Stroud area.
For more, see https://www.stroudcommonwealth.org.uk
