The Record — What Is Not in Dispute
The Numbers
£23.6MTown Deal Grant — Somerset Council Accountable Body
£2.29MGhost Build — Life Factory — No planning permission
26Local tradespeople unpaid after Beckery Construction liquidation
£420K"Zombie Payments" — continued after official project pause Jan 2024
SR3Statutory Recommendation — management controls "NOT ROBUST"
£77MSomerset Council declared "Financial Emergency" — budget gap
£20MNewton Europe consultancy contract — approved during financial emergency
125yrPrivate lease — Tor Leisure — now in administration
Somerset Council is the Accountable Body. The government gave £23.6 million to Somerset Council. Somerset Council holds the Grant Funding Agreement with DLUHC. Somerset Council is legally responsible for ensuring proper use of those funds.
Glastonbury Town Council is the host of the Town Deal Board. The Town Council's chair was also chair of the Town Deal Board and a trustee of Red Brick Building Centre Ltd — the organisation that received the £2.89 million and failed to deliver. The Town Council's chair's husband ran the company that got the money.
When a councillor says "the Town Council had nothing to do with the Town Deal" — that is not a defence. That is a confession.
Glastonbury Town Council is the host of the Town Deal Board. The Town Council's chair was also chair of the Town Deal Board and a trustee of Red Brick Building Centre Ltd — the organisation that received the £2.89 million and failed to deliver. The Town Council's chair's husband ran the company that got the money.
When a councillor says "the Town Council had nothing to do with the Town Deal" — that is not a defence. That is a confession.
Left: Somerset Council — Accountable Body · £23.6M · Right: Glastonbury Town Council — Mayor Making · No Public Participation · Conduct Unbecoming
The Glastonbury Ultimatum — Delivered May 12, 2026
What the Residents Demanded
The SR3 Statutory Recommendation identified that management and governance arrangements were "not sufficiently robust." The residents demanded sight of the formal Governance Response and the corrective actions taken.
The Ghost Build inquiry: £2,295,512 in payments signed off without site visits, independent surveys, or planning permission. The residents demanded an audit trail and the names of the officers who provided "positive project assurance" while red flags were ignored.
The conflict of interest disclosure: Full transparent disclosure of all familial and business connections between the Town Deal Board and the directors of companies receiving funds — specifically Beckery Construction and Red Brick Building subsidiaries.
The Restitution Strategy: A formal plan for the 26 local tradespeople left unpaid after Beckery Construction's liquidation. The town's reputation as a place to do business is at stake.
The Whistleblower Amnesty: Waiving of all NDAs for staff and contractors for the purpose of audit. No retaliation for speaking freely.
The Personal Liability Clause: Moving from corporate complaints to personal accountability. The Ultimatum was served to the individuals present as members of the Town Deal Board. Under the Nolan Principles of Openness and Honesty, they are personally responsible for the "Positive Project Assurances" sent to government. If it is found that the Board pivoted Project 8 money while knowing people were dying on the roadside, a Private Prosecution for Misfeasance in Public Office will be sought.
The Ghost Build inquiry: £2,295,512 in payments signed off without site visits, independent surveys, or planning permission. The residents demanded an audit trail and the names of the officers who provided "positive project assurance" while red flags were ignored.
The conflict of interest disclosure: Full transparent disclosure of all familial and business connections between the Town Deal Board and the directors of companies receiving funds — specifically Beckery Construction and Red Brick Building subsidiaries.
The Restitution Strategy: A formal plan for the 26 local tradespeople left unpaid after Beckery Construction's liquidation. The town's reputation as a place to do business is at stake.
The Whistleblower Amnesty: Waiving of all NDAs for staff and contractors for the purpose of audit. No retaliation for speaking freely.
The Personal Liability Clause: Moving from corporate complaints to personal accountability. The Ultimatum was served to the individuals present as members of the Town Deal Board. Under the Nolan Principles of Openness and Honesty, they are personally responsible for the "Positive Project Assurances" sent to government. If it is found that the Board pivoted Project 8 money while knowing people were dying on the roadside, a Private Prosecution for Misfeasance in Public Office will be sought.
Mayor Making · No Public Participation · 214 Residents Are Watching · Redacted documents on the table
LGA Model Code of Conduct — Somerset Town and Parish Councils
Conduct Unbecoming
The Code of Conduct applies to all communications including social media posts, statements and comments. The following violations are documented in screenshots. The evidence is in the public record.
| Code Section | What the Code Requires | What Was Done | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 Respect | "Treat members of the public with respect. Rude and offensive behaviour lowers public confidence." | 🤦♀️ emoji used to dismiss 214 residents. Passive-aggressive "I would respectfully suggest" followed by contempt. Personal attack on a resident's family name using a 😉 wink emoji. | Breach |
| 1.3 Bullying | "I do not bully any person. Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour that undermines, humiliates or denigrates." | Pattern of dismissive, contemptuous communication across multiple Facebook interactions. Sneering at residents demanding accountability after a suicide and unpaid contractors. | Breach |
| 4.1 Disrepute | "I do not bring my role or local authority into disrepute. Your actions are subject to greater scrutiny than ordinary members of the public." | Using a satirical image of oneself as a vampire with the Tor in flames as a public profile picture. Mocking residents who created it as satire of incompetence. Sneering about "fact checking" at forensic evidence. | Breach |
| 5 Use of Position | "I do not use my position improperly to the advantage or disadvantage of myself or anyone else." | Using councillor position to mislead the public about the Town Council's responsibilities as host of the Town Deal Board. Claiming "the town council had nothing to do with the town deal" while the chair's husband's company received funds. | Breach |
| Nolan: Honesty | "Holders of public office should be truthful." | "The town council had nothing to do with the town deal." The Town Council is the host of the Town Deal Board. The Town Council's chair held multiple roles across the structure. This is demonstrably false. | Breach |
| Nolan: Leadership | "Actively promote and robustly support the principles and be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs." | No challenge to the SR3 finding. No challenge to the unpaid contractors. No challenge to the zombie payments. Active dismissal of residents raising these concerns. | Breach |
The Monitoring Officer for Somerset Council is the person to contact to file a formal Code of Conduct complaint. The Code applies to all town and parish councillors. The evidence is in the screenshots. The Code of Conduct is not optional. The Nolan Principles are not optional. They are the legal and ethical standards required of anyone in public office.
SR3 — NOT ROBUST · She thinks this is a flex
The funhouse mirror · She does not know she is the joke
The Free Rob Case — On the Record
Free Rob — Detained
Case Status — Released · Pending Trial · April 2026
Rob gave away thousands of pounds of THC oil to this community. For decades. Free. No profit. No charge. Just love.
He has a family. He has children. He has been part of the healing tradition of this community for twenty years. He gave away medicine that the NHS refused to provide. He was jailed pending trial — and has since been released. His case continues.
The same political current in this town that preaches "We need more pharmacies" has been actively involved in reputational harm, online attacks, and false characterisations of his work — conflating donated THC oil with Class A substances. The record will show what was given and to whom. The record will show the difference between a healer and a dealer.
His name is Free Rob. He is out. The archive names him with honour.
Satire — The Visual Record
The Clown Car of Avalon
Satire is not a crime. Neither is noticing when a councillor uses a satirical image of herself as her profile picture and does not know she is the joke. The archive documents the performance alongside the forensics.
The Clown Car of Avalon · ACCOUNTABLE BODY · Glastonbury Tor unimpressed in background
The Seven Principles of Public Life — Applied
The Nolan Test
- SelflessnessAct solely in the public interest. Not for personal gain, familial benefit, or the protection of associates.Undemonstrated
- IntegrityAvoid obligations to people who might seek to influence your decisions. Disclose and resolve all interests.Undemonstrated
- ObjectivityAct impartially, on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.Undemonstrated
- AccountabilitySubmit to the scrutiny necessary to ensure accountability. Do not hide behind process.Evaded
- OpennessAct transparently. Information should not be withheld without clear and lawful reasons.Evaded
- HonestyBe truthful. "The Town Council had nothing to do with the Town Deal" is not truthful.Breached
- LeadershipChallenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs. A 🤦♀️ emoji is not leadership.Absent
✦ ✦ ✦
The archive is watching.
The residents are not going away. The 214 signatures are not a request. They are a mandate. The Glastonbury Transparency Project is building the forensic record — every unpaid invoice, every displaced family, every silenced voice. The Ultimatum has been delivered. The 14-day response window has opened.
They are used to dealing with individuals they can dismiss. They are not used to a forensic record.
The line carries. The blood will not stop. And the woman with the rainbow vampire profile picture is still laughing.
She does not know she is the joke.
🐉
The residents are not going away. The 214 signatures are not a request. They are a mandate. The Glastonbury Transparency Project is building the forensic record — every unpaid invoice, every displaced family, every silenced voice. The Ultimatum has been delivered. The 14-day response window has opened.
They are used to dealing with individuals they can dismiss. They are not used to a forensic record.
The line carries. The blood will not stop. And the woman with the rainbow vampire profile picture is still laughing.
She does not know she is the joke.
🐉
Public Record — From Glastonbury Town Council Website
Your Councillors
These are the sixteen elected members of Glastonbury Town Council. All names, wards, parties and emails are drawn directly from the council's own published website. They are public officials. This is public record.
| Name | Ward | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma King | St Edmund's | Glastonbury Independent Alliance | emma.king@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Ian Mutch | St Benedict's | Green | ian.mutch@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Indra Donfrancesco | St Benedict's | Green | indra.donfrancesco@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Jon Cousins | St Edmund's | Green | jon.cousins@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Lillith Osborn | St John's | Independent | lillith.osborn@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Lindsay MacDougall | St Mary's | Green | lindsay.macdougall@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Lokabandhu | St Edmund's | Green | lokabandhu@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Margaret Oakden | St Mary's | Conservative | margaret.oakden@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Michael White | St Benedict's | Green | michael.white@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Mike Smyth | St Mary's | Green | mike.smyth@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Paul Manning | St John's | Independent | paul.manning@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Rik Cook | St John's | Reform UK | rik.cook@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Serena Roney-Dougal | St Edmund's | Green | serena.roneydougal@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Steve Henderson | St Benedict's | Independent | steve.henderson@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Terry Napper | St Mary's | Independent | terry.napper@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Zoe Price | St John's | Green | zoe.price@glastonbury.gov.uk |
Where to Direct Formal Complaints and Requests
Key Contacts
Town Clerk
Conor Ogilvie-Davidson
The Proper Officer under the Local Government Act 1972.
Legally required to warn the Council of financial risks.
townclerk@glastonbury.gov.uk
01458 831769
The Proper Officer under the Local Government Act 1972.
Legally required to warn the Council of financial risks.
townclerk@glastonbury.gov.uk
01458 831769
Responsible Financial Officer
Michelle Phillips
Code of Conduct 7B requires councillors to heed her advice. If her advice was ignored or not sought — that is on the record.
finance@glastonbury.gov.uk
01458 831769
Code of Conduct 7B requires councillors to heed her advice. If her advice was ignored or not sought — that is on the record.
finance@glastonbury.gov.uk
01458 831769
General Office
Glastonbury Town Hall
Magdalene Street
Glastonbury BA6 9EL
office@glastonbury.gov.uk
01458 831769
Magdalene Street
Glastonbury BA6 9EL
office@glastonbury.gov.uk
01458 831769
Code of Conduct Complaints
Somerset Council Monitoring Officer
File formal complaints about councillor conduct here. The Code of Conduct applies to all town and parish councillors in Somerset.
Search: "Somerset Council Monitoring Officer complaint"
File formal complaints about councillor conduct here. The Code of Conduct applies to all town and parish councillors in Somerset.
Search: "Somerset Council Monitoring Officer complaint"
What to ask the Town Clerk (Proper Officer): "Please provide the Professional Advice records you gave to the Council regarding the approval of payments to Beckery Construction. Under your statutory duty as Proper Officer, were you required to warn the Council of the financial risks? Did you do so? What was the Council's response?"
What to ask the Responsible Financial Officer: "Under Code of Conduct Section 7B, councillors must consider and pay due regard to your advice. What advice did you provide regarding the Life Factory payments and the Project 8 reallocation? Was that advice followed? If not, was the departure from your advice formally recorded?"
What to include in the Code of Conduct complaint: Screenshots of the 🤦♀️ emoji, the 😉 wink, the "fact checking" sneer, and the profile picture. Reference Code sections 1.1, 1.3, 4.1, and 5. State the specific breach. Include the public record of the SR3 finding.
What to ask the Responsible Financial Officer: "Under Code of Conduct Section 7B, councillors must consider and pay due regard to your advice. What advice did you provide regarding the Life Factory payments and the Project 8 reallocation? Was that advice followed? If not, was the departure from your advice formally recorded?"
What to include in the Code of Conduct complaint: Screenshots of the 🤦♀️ emoji, the 😉 wink, the "fact checking" sneer, and the profile picture. Reference Code sections 1.1, 1.3, 4.1, and 5. State the specific breach. Include the public record of the SR3 finding.
Go to the Source
Primary Sources
Sign →
The Glastonbury Ultimatum petition on Change.org — 214+ signatures
View →
GTC Schedule of Payments — the council's own published transparency register
View →
Glastonbury Town Council — full councillor list with contact emails
SR3
External Auditor Statutory Recommendation — management controls found "NOT ROBUST" — on the public record
Public Record — Glastonbury Town Council
The Councillors
All public record from glastonbury.gov.uk. Every councillor is bound by the LGA Model Code of Conduct. Every councillor signed it. Every councillor can be complained about to the Monitoring Officer.
| Name | Ward | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emma King | St Edmund's | Glastonbury Independent Alliance | emma.king@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Ian Mutch | St Benedict's | Green | ian.mutch@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Indra Donfrancesco | St Benedict's | Green | indra.donfrancesco@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Jon Cousins | St Edmund's | Green | jon.cousins@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Lillith Osborn | St John's | Independent | lillith.osborn@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Lindsay MacDougall | St Mary's | Green | lindsay.macdougall@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Lokabandhu | St Edmund's | Green | lokabandhu@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Margaret Oakden | St Mary's | Conservative | margaret.oakden@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Michael White | St Benedict's | Green | michael.white@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Mike Smyth | St Mary's | Green | mike.smyth@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Paul Manning | St John's | Independent | paul.manning@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Rik Cook | St John's | Reform UK | rik.cook@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Serena Roney-Dougal | St Edmund's | Green | serena.roneydougal@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Steve Henderson | St Benedict's | Independent | steve.henderson@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Terry Napper | St Mary's | Independent | terry.napper@glastonbury.gov.uk |
| Zoe Price | St John's | Green | zoe.price@glastonbury.gov.uk |
Public Record — Glastonbury Town Council Staff
The Proper Officers
The Town Clerk is the Proper Officer under the Local Government Act 1972 — legally required to warn the Council of financial risks. The Responsible Financial Officer has statutory duties under the Code of Conduct. Both can be formally contacted.
| Name | Role | Legal Obligation | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conor Ogilvie-Davidson | Town Clerk — Proper Officer | LGA 1972: required to warn Council of financial risks. The Ultimatum requests his professional advice records re: Beckery Construction payments. | townclerk@glastonbury.gov.uk · 01458 831769 |
| Michelle Phillips | Responsible Financial Officer | Code of Conduct 7B: councillors must pay due regard to her advice. Was her advice sought? Was it followed? Was it given at all? | finance@glastonbury.gov.uk · 01458 831769 |
| Katie Armstrong | Assistant Town Clerk | Secondary Proper Officer contact. | assistantclerk@glastonbury.gov.uk · 01458 831769 |
Public Record — Somerset Council · Glastonbury Division
Somerset Council Representatives
Somerset Council is the Accountable Body for the £23.6M Town Deal. These are the elected Somerset Council members for the Glastonbury division — and the named Somerset Council representatives who sat on the Town Deal Board itself.
| Name | Role | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Cllr Ewan Cameron | Somerset Council — Glastonbury division · Liberal Democrat | Current Glastonbury division member. Somerset Council endorsed SR3 actions at Full Council Dec 2025. He voted on that. |
| Cllr Susannah Hart | Somerset Council — Glastonbury division · Conservative | Current Glastonbury division member. Somerset Council Accountable Body for the £23.6M. |
| Cllr Ros Wyke | Former Lead Member for Prosperity, Assets & Development · Somerset Council representative on the Town Deal Board | Joined the Town Deal Board as the required "local government representative." Sat on the board during the period in question. |
| Cllr Liz Leyshon | Street division · Somerset Council member of the Town Deal Board · also member of Friends of Brides Mound | Subject of a conflict of interest complaint — cleared by Monitoring Officer Alyn Jones (Dec 2025). But Grant Thornton found: "no evidence the council delved deeper into the impact of declarations or sought further advice." That is a documented governance failure. |
| Cllr Michael White | Glastonbury Town Councillor · Green · became temporary Town Deal Board chair after Sedgmore resigned | Currently sitting town councillor. Became acting chair of the board in June 2025. Sits on the Town Council whose Code of Conduct is under scrutiny. |
Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE resigned as Town Deal Board chair in June 2025 following the SWAP audit. In her resignation letter she stated she was "on the receiving end of personal and professional attacks in the public domain suggesting financial impropriety" and described it as "very stressful." The attacks, she said, were "without foundation."
The Grant Thornton audit disagreed with that framing. It found: "There is no evidence that the council delved deeper into the impact of such declarations or sought further advice to effectively consider the ramifications of such declarations. The lack of council action in this area identifies a significant failure."
The Monitoring Officer — Alyn Jones — is the person to contact for Code of Conduct complaints. His office cleared Leyshon. The GTP can ask what investigation was conducted into the broader governance failures identified by Grant Thornton.
The Grant Thornton audit disagreed with that framing. It found: "There is no evidence that the council delved deeper into the impact of such declarations or sought further advice to effectively consider the ramifications of such declarations. The lack of council action in this area identifies a significant failure."
The Monitoring Officer — Alyn Jones — is the person to contact for Code of Conduct complaints. His office cleared Leyshon. The GTP can ask what investigation was conducted into the broader governance failures identified by Grant Thornton.
Where to Send It — The Escalation Chain
How to File
1. Code of Conduct Complaint — Glastonbury Town Councillors
Contact: Alyn Jones — Somerset Council Monitoring Officer
The Monitoring Officer handles Code of Conduct complaints for all Somerset town and parish councillors. File in writing. Cite specific sections (1.1, 1.3, 4.1, 5). Include screenshots as evidence.
Somerset Council: somerset.gov.uk
2. Town Deal Accountability — Somerset Council
Write to your Somerset Council division members: Councillor Ewan Cameron and Councillor Susannah Hart (see above). Somerset Council is the Accountable Body. They must respond.
3. Town Clerk — Proper Officer Request
Write to Conor Ogilvie-Davidson at townclerk@glastonbury.gov.uk requesting the professional advice records provided regarding Beckery Construction payments under FOI / Local Government Transparency obligations.
4. Responsible Financial Officer
Write to Michelle Phillips at finance@glastonbury.gov.uk requesting confirmation of whether financial risk advice was provided to the Council regarding the Life Factory project and the zombie payments.
5. National Audit Office
If no response within 14 days: escalate to the NAO and the Secretary of State as stated in the Ultimatum. Grant fraud and misrepresentation of DLUHC funds is a matter of national oversight.
5b. Somerset Council Full Council — December 2025
Somerset Council's own Full Council meeting in December 2025 discussed the SR3 and endorsed actions in response. Councillor Adam Boyden's published update (January 2026) states: "The third [statutory recommendation] concerns the governance of projects where the Council acts as an accountable body for projects such as the Life Factory, part of the Glastonbury Town Deal."
This is Somerset Council acknowledging the SR3 in their own published record. The question for Cameron and Hart: what were those endorsed actions, and have they been implemented?
6. Primary Legal Documents — Somerset Council
These are Somerset Council's own published legal documents. All publicly accessible. All relevant to filing complaints and escalating accountability.
→ Somerset Council Constitution (Part A) → Members Code of Conduct (Part H2) — the legal standard every councillor must meet → Whistleblowing Policy (Appendix 2) — protections for staff and contractors speaking freely → Monitoring Officer Protocol (Appendix 7) — how complaints are investigated and by whom
7. Payments Transparency Register
The Council's own published payments register is publicly available:
Glastonbury TC Payments Register (SharePoint) →
Contact: Alyn Jones — Somerset Council Monitoring Officer
The Monitoring Officer handles Code of Conduct complaints for all Somerset town and parish councillors. File in writing. Cite specific sections (1.1, 1.3, 4.1, 5). Include screenshots as evidence.
Somerset Council: somerset.gov.uk
2. Town Deal Accountability — Somerset Council
Write to your Somerset Council division members: Councillor Ewan Cameron and Councillor Susannah Hart (see above). Somerset Council is the Accountable Body. They must respond.
3. Town Clerk — Proper Officer Request
Write to Conor Ogilvie-Davidson at townclerk@glastonbury.gov.uk requesting the professional advice records provided regarding Beckery Construction payments under FOI / Local Government Transparency obligations.
4. Responsible Financial Officer
Write to Michelle Phillips at finance@glastonbury.gov.uk requesting confirmation of whether financial risk advice was provided to the Council regarding the Life Factory project and the zombie payments.
5. National Audit Office
If no response within 14 days: escalate to the NAO and the Secretary of State as stated in the Ultimatum. Grant fraud and misrepresentation of DLUHC funds is a matter of national oversight.
5b. Somerset Council Full Council — December 2025
Somerset Council's own Full Council meeting in December 2025 discussed the SR3 and endorsed actions in response. Councillor Adam Boyden's published update (January 2026) states: "The third [statutory recommendation] concerns the governance of projects where the Council acts as an accountable body for projects such as the Life Factory, part of the Glastonbury Town Deal."
This is Somerset Council acknowledging the SR3 in their own published record. The question for Cameron and Hart: what were those endorsed actions, and have they been implemented?
6. Primary Legal Documents — Somerset Council
These are Somerset Council's own published legal documents. All publicly accessible. All relevant to filing complaints and escalating accountability.
→ Somerset Council Constitution (Part A) → Members Code of Conduct (Part H2) — the legal standard every councillor must meet → Whistleblowing Policy (Appendix 2) — protections for staff and contractors speaking freely → Monitoring Officer Protocol (Appendix 7) — how complaints are investigated and by whom
7. Payments Transparency Register
The Council's own published payments register is publicly available:
Glastonbury TC Payments Register (SharePoint) →
Action · How to Help
What You Can Do
Sign
The Change.org petition — demand accountability from Somerset Council
File
A Code of Conduct complaint with the Somerset Council Monitoring Officer
Share
This page. Give the GTP the URL. The archive needs to be visible.
Free Rob
Share his story. Support his legal fund. He gave away medicine. He is home.