Glastonbury Town Council has unanimously passed a motion calling for a public release of an independent audit into the Red Brick building project after concerns surfaced over unpaid invoices, site safety, and alleged mismanagement.

During a well-attended public participation session at the October council meeting, representatives from R4 Scaffolding, a contractor on the Red Brick project, voiced frustration over months of unpaid work. The company described their attempts to handle the situation quietly while seeking answers, only to be met with silence. "We were never told during the project that the money had run out," said Tom Rolli, from the firm. He explained that the team continued to work "assuming that our invoices were going to be paid," despite growing concerns over the site's deteriorating conditions.

"We just want to know where the money's gone," he continued, adding that the ongoing delays have led employees to refuse work at the site due to poor conditions. "Some places [on the site] are unsafe as well."

Councillor Lili Osborne, who presented the motion, spoke passionately about the need for transparency, describing the project as "a rather dark and murky corner of the Town Deal Board." He continued, "People in this town were promised so much from the Town Deal but may actually receive very little if funds continue to be squandered."

The Red Brick project, funded as part of the government's Town Deal initiative, has been under scrutiny for several months. Somerset Council conducted an initial audit of the project following complaints but has yet to release the findings. Councillor Bandu, who chaired the meeting, confirmed that the council has been anticipating Somerset's audit results, stating, "The audit has been expected imminently for quite some time now, but it hasn't yet appeared."

Councillor Henderson, who sympathised with R4's position, explained, "I've been self-employed for 40 years; I know exactly what it's like not getting paid for jobs." He added that while the Town Council does not oversee the project, "we will do what we can to sort out what's at the bottom of it."

R4 representatives expressed further frustration with communication breakdowns, describing an instance where another contractor used R4's scaffolding without consent. "We're told the money's gone," Mr Rolli said. "Well, we don't know where it's gone. We just want answers."

The council hopes the audit's findings will shed light on the handling of public funds and help resolve the contractors' unpaid invoices. Mayor Lokabee Lokabandhu assured attendees that "the audit should come out any time," and added, "We are as keen as you are to find out what happened."