Glastonbury Town Council has voted to protect the Red Brick Building and Bridie's Farm by nominating both as assets of community value.

The decision came during a meeting on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, amid reports that Red Brick Building Centre Ltd has appointed insolvency practitioners to review its financial status. Councillors were told the assessment is ongoing and that no formal report has yet been issued.

Cllr Paul Manning warned the site could face sale to private developers if the company enters liquidation — claiming one developer had already expressed interest.

Asset of community value status does not block a sale but gives community groups a six-month window to organise a bid if the property is listed. The council would have no financial obligation.

Despite several councillors declaring they hold shares in Red Brick Building Centre Ltd, only Cllr Jon Cousins abstained. The motion passed by majority. A second motion to list Brite's Farm also passed, with two councillors voting against.

Grant audit raises £98k question

Councillors also discussed findings from a SWAP audit which reportedly raised concerns about a £98,000 payment from Somerset Council.

The funds were earmarked for the Glastonbury Food and Regenerative Farming Centre, but it was alleged at the meeting that the money may have been transferred to the Red Brick Building and used by the now-defunct Life Factory project.

No formal conclusion has been issued about the funds, and councillors called for clarity on where the money went. Beckery Construction Company, which had been involved in project delivery, is now in liquidation with reported assets of just £10,000.

Fears farm project could suffer

Several councillors expressed frustration over the potential knock-on impact on Bridie's Farm — a food-growing and education project located on land owned by Red Brick Building Centre Ltd.

Cllr Serena Roney-Dougal said she was "shocked" to learn the farm might also be affected by the ongoing financial crisis linked to the Red Brick and Life Factory projects.

"The land has been bought, the buildings are going up, the planting is happening. The farm is an actual happening project. For them to kill that project because the Life Factory has gone down — to me, it's criminal… malicious… spiteful," she said.

She added that the farm "should be allowed to be separated off" from the other ventures and said she was seeking clarity on what powers, if any, the town council had to intervene.

Somerset Council confirms farm land protection

Somerset Council told Nub News it holds a legal charge over the farm land: "The land for the Farm Project was bought using the grant provided for that purpose, and Red Brick Building Centre Limited owns the land.

"The Council has a legal charge on the land for the amount it contributed to the purchase. This means that if RBB were to go into liquidation, the Council would recover a sum up to the value of the legal charge from the sale of the land."

In plain terms: if the company becomes insolvent, Somerset Council would be first in line to recoup its investment — but that doesn't guarantee the farm's future.

Council backs unpaid workers

Cllr Lili Osborne urged members to publicly support workers left unpaid in the wake of the failed projects: "We support the workers who have not been paid, and we want to ensure, to the best of our ability, that those payments are made… I'd like to see us go out publicly, all guns blazing, saying we want those people paid."

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• Somerset waste chiefs issue fire warning as gas canisters found in kerbside bins

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