Glastonbury's town clerk has moved to reassured Lowerside allotment holders in the town after concerns were raised that affordable housing could be build on the land.

Allotment holders expressed their worries about losing their space after receiving a letter from Glastonbury Town Council saying the Lowerside Allotments could be a site where the building of affordable housing was being considered with money from the government's Town Fund that Glastonbury is eligible for.

However, town clerk Gerard Tucker has looked to reassure the allotment holders by saying the site was one of many in the very early stages of being looked at, and that if the site was chosen, nothing would happen until alternative allotment space had been found.

He told Glastonbury Nub News: "The town council debated at a recent meeting of the Property and Assets Committee that they would keep an open mind to meeting the needs of affordable housing provision and include the Lowerside Allotments in an expression of interest for possible residential development.

"The Towns Deal Fund may provide a funding opportunity for the delivery of capital projects, hence the need to move quickly in submitting an expression of interest.

"There were a number of sites identified within the expression, many of which would be considered just too difficult, or non-cost effective to develop.

"The expression of interest was very much a simple gathering of ideas and included, in addition to the Lowerside Allotments, the placing of narrow boats on attenuation ponds, development of small former commercial sites that the Local Plan has already approved the change to residential, and small parcels of land where just one or two properties could be built.

"In the event that the expression of interest moves forwards and is accepted by the Towns Deal Fund, there is then the need to work on the creation of a full project plan.

"Should - and there is an enormously long way to go - Lowerside Allotments be considered an appropriate location to build affordable housing, consent will have to be obtained from the Secretary of State.

"None of this could remotely progress without an alternative site being made available for allotments."