Agency To Meet Glastonbury Protesters

The South West RDA will meet today in Glastonbury with protesters occupying a dangerous derelict building on the Morlands site.

At the end of last year the Agency announced it needed to demolish the red brick buildings at the Morlands development site because of serious concerns for the safety of young people who have been breaking into it in recent months.

A small group of protesters broke into the building on Monday January 5 and occupied it to prevent the planned start of demolition.

The RDA will meet with representatives of the protesters to explain the reasons for the demolition and listen to their concerns.

The Agency has also accepted an invitation by the Mayor of Glastonbury, Tom Billing, to attend a Glastonbury Town Council meeting (date to be confirmed) to give a public update on Morlands and discuss future prospects for the site as a whole. Cllr Billing has also been invited to Monday's meeting with the protesters.

Carl Budden, head of regeneration at the South West RDA, said: "We understand that the community is calling for more information about the site. The private meeting with protestors and proposed meeting with the Council are two of a number of measures we will be carrying out to improve communications.

"We are pleased to accept the Mayor's invitation and discuss issues relating to the development in public."

The Agency has been criticised for announcing the demolition on Christmas Eve.

Carl Budden continues: "Demolition was not confirmed and the date was not set until only a matter of days before we briefed the local paper on December 17 so we gave the community as much notice as we could in the circumstances.

"We hope the protesters will leave the site as soon as Monday's meeting has finished and following this commitment to take part in the Town Council's meeting."

(JM/BMcC)