Glastonbury's Town Deal is a complicated programme, with several projects, different public bodies and millions of pounds of government funding involved.

The failed Life Factory project has raised serious questions about oversight, public money and accountability. At the same time, other parts of the Town Deal are complete or still being delivered.

This guide separates the Life Factory from the wider programme, explains who was responsible for what, and sets out what public records currently show.

Quick update: where the Town Deal projects stand

The Life Factory is the project causing the most concern, but it is not the only Town Deal project in Glastonbury. Some projects have already been finished. Others are still being worked on.

Public updates say:

• Baily's Buildings is still being worked on. An anchor tenant has been found for 60% of the West Building, with completion due in July 2026. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Glastonbury Clean Energy has delivered two rooftop solar projects, with more work in development. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Robert Richards Initiative has delivered path and access improvements, with more work expected. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• St Dunstan's House Health and Wellbeing Centre, Glastonbury Abbey Piazza and Tor Sports and Leisure are listed as complete. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• The Enabling Project is still in planning and delivery. It is intended to develop a site for non-bricks-and-mortar dwellers in Glastonbury. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• The Life Factory has failed, and Somerset Council says no further funding will be released while it continues efforts to recover money already paid out. (somerset.gov.uk)

Somerset Council has now published new decision papers about moving some unused Town Deal money to other projects. In simple terms, some money first set aside for one project may now be used on another project instead. (Somerset Council decision notice)

The papers say £758,000 could be moved to seven projects, including Abbey Piazza, St Dunstan's House, Tor Leisure, St Brigid's Chapel and Field, Beckery House and Somerset Rural Life Museum. A separate proposal would move £650,000 to Baily's Buildings. (Somerset Council decision notice)

The Somerset Council papers say checks must still be carried out before money is released, and some funding agreements may need to be changed.

Who controls the Town Deal money?

Confusion about how public funding is managed has led some people to believe the Glastonbury Town Deal Board controlled the Town Deal money and was directly responsible for how it was spent.

The records show something more specific.

• Somerset Council, and before that Mendip District Council, was the official body responsible for checking and administering the grant. Somerset Council describes itself as the accountable body responsible for the Town Deal and for ensuring proper use of the £23.6 million government grant. (somerset.gov.uk)
• The Glastonbury Town Deal Board could discuss projects, ask questions, make recommendations and influence decisions. But the Glastonbury Town Deal Board did not hold the government money itself and did not make the payments.

The role of Glastonbury Town Council

Confusion about the different roles played by councils, boards and project organisations has also led some people to believe Glastonbury Town Council directly controlled the Town Deal funding and how it was spent.

But Glastonbury Town Council did not hold the £23.6 million government grant. Glastonbury Town Council did not pay the Life Factory invoices and was not the official body in charge of checking the Town Deal money.

The confusion may have arisen because several current or former Glastonbury town councillors have had roles connected to the Glastonbury Town Deal Board.

Public records show:

• Cllr Jon Cousins is listed as a Town Deal Board member representing the community. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Cllr Michael White is listed as vice-chair of the Town Deal Board. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Cllr Lokabandhu is listed as a Town Deal Board member representing Glastonbury Town Council. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Cllr Paul Manning is listed as a Town Deal Board member representing Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce, and Glastonbury Town Council. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Cllr Indra Donfrancesco is listed by Glastonbury Town Council as a current town councillor for St Benedict's Ward. (glastonbury.gov.uk)
• Ian Tucker, a freeman of Glastonbury and former town councillor, is listed as a Town Deal Board member representing business. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)

Those roles meant those individuals could take part in discussions, ask questions and influence the programme.

Residents can fairly ask whether councillors involved in the Town Deal asked enough questions, challenged decisions strongly enough and declared interests properly.

But, again, the records reviewed do not show that anyone other than the county-level council held the grant or controlled Town Deal spending.

The Life Factory collapse

The Life Factory project was supposed to turn part of the Red Brick Building into a place for creative work, training and jobs.

• Red Brick Building Centre Ltd was responsible for running the project and spending the funding it received.
• Beckery Construction Company Ltd was also involved in the building work. Somerset Council says Beckery Construction Company Ltd was created by Red Brick Building Centre Ltd to help carry out the project.
• Somerset Council was responsible for checking that the government money was being used properly.

Problems emerged in late 2023, when Somerset Council said they could not properly match some grant claims with work happening on site. The county council paused funding in January 2024 while concerns were investigated. (Somerset Council public questions response)

In May 2025, Somerset Council said the project could not continue in its existing form and that no further Town Deal funding would be released. (somerset.gov.uk)

Somerset Council later said serious problems had been found with financial controls, project management and procurement rules.

The collapse also affected local contractors and suppliers, including businesses and workers who say they carried out work or supplied materials but were left unpaid.

Police enquiries into the Life Factory are still ongoing, and no findings have yet been announced. (Somerset Council statement)

Payments made after concerns were raised

Audit material and FOI material seen by Nub News indicate that payments continued after concerns had been raised and that more than £2.3 million had already been paid towards the Life Factory before the project was halted.

That raises obvious questions:

• Who agreed the payments;
• Why they were allowed to continue;
• Why the project was not stopped sooner.
• Why did a stronger intervention not happen earlier;
• Who approved disputed Life Factory payments;
• Whether all public money being pursued by Somerset Council can be recovered;
• Whether enough challenge was applied by those involved in the programme;
• Whether responsibilities were always clear;
• Whether declarations and perceived conflicts were managed properly.

Somerset Council have said they are seeking repayment of £2.29 million from Red Brick Building Centre Ltd.

These records show serious problems with how the project was managed and checked, but police enquiries remain ongoing and no findings have yet been announced. (Somerset Council statement)

Was £1.46m spent on eight caravan pitches?

The £1.46 million figure relates to the Enabling Project, which Somerset Council says is intended to develop a site for non-bricks-and-mortar dwellers in Glastonbury. The Town Deal page lists the project's Towns Fund allocation as £1.46 million. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)

• The same page says an earlier outline planning application was withdrawn in early 2024 because of significant flooding, and that a second site was purchased in 2024 with a planning application being prepared. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Project budgets can cover more than visible pitches, including land, groundworks, drainage, utilities, planning, access, legal work and later phases.

To date, Nub News has not found a public payment breakdown showing how much of the £1.46 million has actually been spent so far.

That does not answer every question about value for money or delivery.

Moving money within the Town Deal

Some people have asked whether moving Town Deal money from one project to another means something has gone wrong.

New Somerset Council papers show that some Town Deal money is now being moved through an official Somerset Council process. (Somerset Council decision notice)

Some projects did not need all the money first set aside for them, or could not use it in the way first planned. Somerset Council is now looking at moving that money to other projects that may be able to use it before the deadline.

The papers say:

• £758,000 could be moved to seven other projects;
• £650,000 could be moved to Baily's Buildings;
• Checks must be done before the money is released;
• Funding agreements may need to be changed;
• Projects must show what they will deliver.

(Somerset Council decision notice)

Residents can still ask fair questions, such as who approved the move, what checks were done, what the money will pay for, and whether the town will get the benefits promised.

But moving Town Deal money between projects can be part of normal grant management, as long as it is done through the correct channels.

Ancient charters and modern land ownership

Some have claimed that medieval charters prove Glastonbury land belongs permanently to the town.

• Glastonbury Abbey says the earliest historical evidence for the monastery includes late seventh-century charters showing grants of land to the monastery. Those charters are part of Glastonbury's history, but they do not show modern ownership by Glastonbury Town Council. (glastonburyabbey.com)
• The Queen Anne Charter of 1705 gave Glastonbury corporate status and civic privileges. It did not give Glastonbury Town Council ownership of all land in Glastonbury.
• Historic charters are part of Glastonbury's story and identity, but they do not override modern property law, planning law or Land Registry records.

Bride's Mound access works

Some online posts have voiced concerns the path works at Bride's Mound were really an "industrial utility highway".

Town Deal records say an easy-access path was laid across Orchard Field and up onto Bride's Mound, and that the stone-dust path on top of Bride's Mound was removed in September 2025 after feedback. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)

That supports criticism of the surface. But Nub News did not find Somerset Council documents, planning records or official reports showing the path was a hidden industrial road or development route.

Tor Leisure and Fields in Trust protections

Some online posts have raised fears that Tor Leisure could be sold off, handed to developers, or affected by Fusion Lifestyle going into administration.

• Tor Leisure playing fields are protected by Fields in Trust. That means the fields are meant to stay as public green space for sport and leisure. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)
• Paul Manning, who later sat on the Glastonbury Town Deal Board, was also involved with Friends of Tor Leisure, the group credited with helping to protect the playing fields.
• Fusion Lifestyle used to run Tor Sports and Leisure, but it went into administration on 1 April 2026.
• Somerset Council says the Town Deal money for the Tor Leisure refurbishment was not paid directly to Fusion Lifestyle. Somerset Council says Somerset Council took the lease back while the building work was happening. Fusion Lifestyle later paid for some fit-out items, such as gym equipment, furniture and lockers. (Glastonbury Nub News)
• Tor Leisure reopened after refurbishment in February 2025. (glastonburytowndeal.co.uk)

That does not answer every question about who may run the site in future.

But Nub News did not find records showing Tor Leisure is being freely sold off for development, or that Town Deal money was paid directly to Fusion Lifestyle before it went into administration.

Why we keep revisiting this story

The Life Factory collapse is not a closed chapter.

Millions of pounds of public funding were involved. A major project failed. Local contractors were affected. Somerset Council says £2.29 million is being pursued, and police enquiries into the project remain ongoing. (Somerset Council statement)

But this is also a wider Town Deal story.

Part of the confusion comes from how complicated the system is. The programme involved government funding, Somerset Council, the former Mendip District Council, the Glastonbury Town Deal Board, project leads, local organisations, councillors and community groups. They did not all have the same powers or responsibilities.

That has made it easy for different parts of the story to become mixed together.

Residents, campaigners and community groups are right to keep asking for answers. Public pressure can expose gaps, push Somerset Council and other public bodies to explain decisions and keep attention on how public money is handled.

At the same time, one failed project should not overshadow everything else happening through the Town Deal. Other projects have been completed or are still being delivered, including improvements at Tor Leisure, Abbey Yard, St Dunstan's House and local path schemes. Those successes matter too, as do the people and organisations working on projects bringing benefits to Glastonbury.

Nub News will keep asking clear, fair questions about what went wrong at the Life Factory, who was responsible for what, what can be recovered, and what lessons have been learned.

We will also keep explaining how the wider Town Deal works, where local government responsibilities sit, and why influence is not the same as legal control of public money.

That also means treating information carefully.

Online posts can raise important questions. But before sharing a claim, it is worth pausing to ask where it came from, what evidence supports it, whether it has been checked, and whether anyone criticised has had a fair chance to respond.

The Life Factory remains the unresolved part of the story. The wider Town Deal is a separate question.

Nub News will keep following both: the unanswered questions around the Life Factory, and the progress of the wider Town Deal in Glastonbury.

Follow our reporting on the Life Factory project:

For more background on the Life Factory project and the fallout around it, you can read our previous reporting here:

• £3m Glastonbury regeneration project at risk of becoming a 'watertight shell' amid financial concerns
• Glastonbury council backs Life Factory project amid funding setbacks
• 'Real people, real consequences': Red Brick Building says Life Factory project has become 'political football'
• Glastonbury Life Factory project halted after audit raises serious financial concerns
• Explained: How Glastonbury's £3m Life Factory project unravelled and what happens next
• Red Brick Building responds to Life Factory collapse: 'This was a collective failure'
• Ex-director breaks silence over Glastonbury's failed £3m Life Factory project
• Glastonbury Town Deal Board slams council over handling of Life Factory fallout as top figures resign
• Glastonbury Town Deal chair resigns citing stress and public attacks following Life Factory audit fallout
• Audit fallout continues as Red Brick board defends decisions on Life Factory project
• Paperwork missing, builders unpaid: FOI lays bare chaos of Glastonbury's Life Factory project
• Police launch fraud probe into Glastonbury's Red Brick Building project
• Glastonbury Life Factory builder collapses owing £686,000
• Somerset Council vows to claw back cash after Glastonbury regeneration firm collapses
• Glastonbury: £420k handed to failed project after funding freeze
• Auditors slam council over missing millions in project
• Somerset deputy leader cleared after conflict claim over troubled Glastonbury Life Factory project
• Council waited too long to stop £2.9m Life Factory project in Glastonbury
• Glastonbury Red Brick bosses say Town Deal crisis broke charity
• Glastonbury Life Factory: Who is saying what in £23m meltdown?
• Glastonbury's £23.6m revamp still on track despite Red Brick Building collapse
• Contractor says unpaid Glastonbury Town Deal work contributed to wife's death
• Cloister-inspired glazing installed at Glastonbury Abbey as redevelopment nears completion
• Five Glastonbury Town Deal projects set to open this year as £23.6m transformation powers on
• Glastonbury Town Deal projects take shape amid rising costs and strategic pivots
• Sneak peek: Glastonbury's Town Deal projects take shape
• Approval granted for major new visitor destination in Glastonbury
• Tor Leisure's spring makeover: Multi-million-pound investment kicks off in GlastonburySomerset Council approves £2m regenerative farming centre for Glastonbury
• Glastonbury residents urged to have say on £23.6m Town Deal

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