More than £1.4m of Glastonbury town deal funding is being redirected after several major projects stalled, were scaled back or failed to go ahead.

Somerset Council has confirmed the funding shake-up following negotiations with the Glastonbury town deal board, with the money set to be spent before the programme deadline in March 2028.

The largest single reallocation will see £650,000 removed from the Glastonbury clean energy project run by Avalon Clean Energy.

The project previously delivered solar panels at St Dunstan's School on Wells Road and Brunel Care on Pike Close.

But planned proposals for a solar farm at Porchestall Drove did not go ahead after Somerset Council refused planning permission in October 2025.

That funding will now instead go to the Beckery Island Regeneration Trust to continue work at Baily's Buildings on Beckery Old Road.

The extra money is intended to complete phase one of the £6.3m regeneration scheme and allow tenants to move into all occupiable space within the completed building.

Rental income would then help support future phases of the project.

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Jane Sharp, Somerset Council's regeneration specialist for the former Mendip area, said rising construction costs and delays had forced changes to the original plans.

She said: "In practice this means that one, and not two, buildings are to be delivered. It is anticipated that phase one will now complete around the end of June 2026."

Ms Sharp added that reallocating the money reduced the risk of unspent government funding having to be returned.

Five other existing town deal schemes will also receive a share of £618,000 reallocated from the clean energy project and the Robert Richards initiative, which has been developing multi-user paths around the town.

Glastonbury Abbey will receive £150,000 to install extra toilets within its museum and admissions building after that part of the project was previously removed because of rising costs.

St Dunstan's House community health and wellbeing centre has also been awarded £150,000 to help cover higher building costs.

Another £150,000 has been allocated in principle to revive the proposed food and regenerative farming centre at Porchestall Drove, provided the Red Brick Building has no involvement in the scheme.

The South West Heritage Trust will receive £98,000 for improvements at St Brigid's Chapel and Field.

The funding will help cover additional roundhouse construction costs, visitor seating in Chapel Field and extra planting in the orchard area.

Tor Sports and Leisure Centre on Oriel Drive will receive the final £70,000.

That money will be used to resurface and reseed the Benedict Street field to create two football pitches, a training pitch, a cricket wicket and four rounders pitches.

The council said the improvements would also make the site more suitable for cross-country running and recreational hire.

The works will be carried out separately from the ongoing search for a new leisure operator after Fusion Lifestyle entered administration in April.

Two entirely new projects have also been added to the programme.

Somerset Rural Life Museum on Chilkwell Street will receive £90,000 to improve environmental performance, visitor displays and the overall visitor experience.

A further £50,000 will go to Glastonbury Town Council to strengthen the roof at Beckery House so Avalon Clean Energy can later install solar panels.

Ms Sharp said the council needed to move quickly so projects could appoint contractors and complete work during the 2026/27 financial year.

She said: "Any unspent grant must be returned to central government at the end of the town deal programme.

"Our aim is to ensure that the available grant is spent to maximise the benefits of this investment in Glastonbury."

Original reporting: Daniel Mumby/LDRS

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