The chair of the Glastonbury town deal board has resigned following a damning audit into one of the major government-backed regeneration projects within the town centre.

The town deal board has been overseeing ten projects, delivered by Somerset Council and a range of partner organisations, funded by £23.6m from the government's towns fund.

Following an excoriating probe by the South West Audit Partnership (SWAP), the council confirmed in May that it would not provided any further funding towards the upgrade of the Red Brick Building (also known as The Life Factory) on the A39 Street Road -leaving local contractors in limbo and the building work unfinished.

Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, who chairs the board, has now resigned from her position for "personal reasons", alongside one other board member.

In her resignation letter to council chief executive Duncan Sharkey, seen by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Dr Sedgmore said: "I genuinely believe it is best for the board, in the context of continuing and increasing unsubstantiated public attacks on me that I stand down.

"During my time as chair, I have willingly given considerable time, energy, skills,

commitment and dedication to the effectiveness of the board. It has been a privilege to serve Glastonbury in this way.

"There has been significant progress on all but one town deal project (The Life Factory), and the two projects completed this year have been a huge success. There are many more successes to come before final completion in March 2026.

"I am on the receiving end of personal and professional attacks in the public domain suggesting financial impropriety. While the accusations are without foundation, this is damaging to the board as well as to myself.

"As a volunteer in my seventieth year, giving substantial amounts of my time freely to the best of my ability, it is very stressful to be on the receiving end of these public attacks. It is talking a huge toll on me.

"My resignation is not connected to any form of inappropriate fiscal accountability, on my part or that of the board.

"I have never received any financial remuneration as a board member, nor any financial benefit, in any shape or form, from the town deal funds, the Red Brick Building board or the Beckery Construction Company.

"Therefore, I believe it is best, at this time and in this context, for the board and for the town deal that I stand down immediately."

Dr Sedgemore had served as chair since October 2021, following the untimely death of original chairman Robert Richards (after whom one of the town deal projects has been named).

Kama McKenzie, a community representative who has sat on the board since its inception in 2020, has also resigned from the board.

The current vice chairman and mayor of Glastonbury, Councillor Michael White, will act as chairman until the board appoints a permanent replacement.

In a statement issued on Tuesday morning (June 3), the board said it was hopeful that additional funding could be secured urgently to complete the Life Factory project and pay outstanding creditors.

A spokesman said: "We are very disappointed that further grant funds for the Life Factory project will not be forthcoming from Somerset Council.

"We have consistently advised speedier action on the issues facing the Life Factory project and release of the internal audit findings and recommendations.

"Having read the SWAP report, we understand the rationale for this decision by the council as the accountable body. However, we remain very concerned about the impact this decision will have on our community.

"We are particularly concerned that local contractors with outstanding invoices will not be paid by the council.

"Our advice to the council is that it supports the Red Brick Building Centre Ltd. to find a way forward to ensure the future of the activities and services for the community and the tenant organisations, and to consider all possible options for Building C, the intended home for the Life Factory.

"We understand that the council is considering this situation with the Life Factory as an outlier in the overall town deal and that the other nine projects are not adversely affected.

"We have strongly welcomed a current 'health check', funded separately by the council, to monitor and support the progress and successful completion of all the other projects.

"As we move into the final year of the planned delivery of the Glastonbury town deal, we reiterate our understanding of the importance of efficient and effective project management in successful delivery of all projects."

For more information on all ten regeneration projects, visit www.glastonburytowndeal.co.uk.