Glastonbury clean-up bid gathers pace despite council caution

By Laura Linham 25th Mar 2026

Local News by Laura Linham 25th Mar 2026

A community-backed effort to clear the long-running waste site at Red Brick in Glastonbury is gathering pace despite Somerset Council discouraging members of the public from carrying out a clean-up themselves.

In its first public update for some time, Red Brick thanked local residents, councillors and supporters who have come together to help tackle fly-tipping at the site beside the Premier Inn and Brewers Fayre.

A statement said: "We want to say a heartfelt thank you to members of the local community, councillors and supporters who have come together to help tackle the long-standing fly-tipping on the Red Brick site."

It added: "This issue has affected both the building and the wider community and we are incredibly grateful for the support, time, generosity and resources being offered to help resolve it."

The message comes after Somerset Council said the site is privately owned and that the legal responsibility for clearing and paying for the disposal of waste rests with the landowner.

The authority also advised against volunteers removing rubbish from the site, citing safety, legal and environmental risks.

Red Brick's statement now signals that community support is building regardless, with backers being directed to information on how they can help the clean-up effort.

The group also said a wider update on the future of the building is on the way after a quiet period.

The statement said: "It's been a while since we last shared an update and we're grateful for your patience while we've been working to navigate a recovery plan for this much-loved building. We'll be sharing more soon."

Somerset Council previously said an officer inspected the area in February. It said there was no detectable odour from domestic waste amounting to a statutory nuisance and no clear signs of vermin harbourage at that stage, but that its position could be reassessed if conditions change.

For now, the stand-off leaves a clear divide: the council has discouraged public intervention, while community support for action at Red Brick appears to be growing.