Glastonbury Town Council has revealed it spent over £17,000 clearing vans from Common Moor — sparking a debate over the cost, the cause and the council's next steps.

The figure, logged under legal services in the council's budget, covered bailiffs and court action after a possession order was granted to remove an unauthorised encampment. Councillors were told around 17 vans were on the site when enforcement took place.

Cllr Paul Manning said the eviction should never have come out of the town's pocket. "If those people hadn't occupied the site in the first place, that £17,000 could have been spent on something far more positive," he said. "We need real solutions, not just costly fire-fighting."

But Cllr John Cousins hit back, warning against scapegoating. "We don't say these things when people in houses are causing trouble. Yet people living in caravans always get the blame. It's not fair."

Frustration over the costs didn't stop there — councillors noted that removing caravans can cost Somerset Council up to £4,000 each, and called for proper transit provision to reduce the long-term expense.

The town clerk said the council had no choice but to enforce the court order, adding: "It's not a cheap business."

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