Somerset Council has been urged by Conservative Councillor Susannah Hart to cease allocating public funds to the troubled Life Factory project in Glastonbury. The £2.89 million venture aimed to revitalize part of the Red Brick Building on Morland Road into community events space, offices, and more, but ultimately failed.
On December 9, council chief executive Duncan Sharkey formally apologised for the project’s mismanagement. In light of an audit by Grant Thornton, the council released a ‘lessons learned’ report detailing errors and proposing measures to prevent similar issues.
At the December 17 full council meeting in Bridgwater, Councillor Hart called for an end to further public spending on the Life Factory and urged the council to pay local contractors the outstanding £686,000 owed to them. Hart emphasized the original town deal funds were meant to drive long-term economic growth – a goal the Life Factory project failed to meet.
READ MORE: 100 Adorable Photos from Nativity Plays Across the Region
READ MORE: Council to Invest £607,000 in Wellington Cycle Link Ahead of New Railway Station Launch
She also asked the council to confirm it has no plan to acquire legal ownership of the Red Brick Building to avoid further financial risk for taxpayers, suggesting private enterprise would be better suited to manage the site.
The council’s Liberal Democrat leadership responded cautiously, noting an ongoing police investigation into the project and the need for legal guidance before making commitments. Deputy Leader Liz Leyshon stressed the importance of careful deliberation while acknowledging community concerns about the Red Brick Building’s future.
Avon and Somerset Constabulary revealed its fraud unit is examining the case after an auditor’s report raised questions about the Life Factory funding. Meanwhile, CEO Duncan Sharkey acknowledged the council lacks legal authority to compensate affected businesses but pledged improvements to financial controls.
The council formally terminated the Life Factory project in November and is seeking repayment of over £2.2 million from Red Brick Building Centre Ltd. The Grant Thornton audit’s findings will be further reviewed by the council’s audit committee on December 22.