Glastonbury

Town Deal

The Glastonbury Town Deal has secured £23.6 million investment for the town, representing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver the objectives outlined in the Town Investment Plan

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The Robert Richards Initiative

Lead Organisation: Somerset Council

To deliver sustainability in three ways and contributing to Glastonbury becoming a carbon neutral town.

Funding

  • Towns Fund:  £2.5m
  • Co-Funding:  Potential funding being explored

Outcomes

  • Other:  improved health from cycling and walking:  800 people
  • Other:  visitors to demonstration website:  12,000 PA

Key Project Themes

  • Help tackle Climate Change
  • Grow the Economy
  • Reduce Deprivation
  • Improve Health and Wellbeing
  • Green infrastructure

Rationale

  • Delivering and demonstrating solutions that address climate change and ecological decline, as well as improving health and wellbeing.
  • Addresses need in Glastonbury to provide outside space to mitigate post-covid virus issues.
  • Addresses need for skills training to attract good green jobs.
  • Recognises that climate change and pandemic issues necessitate the need to change the way we live and work.

Project Summary

Named after and dedicated to the first Chair of the Glastonbury Town Deal Board, the Robert Richards Initiative is a three-strand sustainability project that encompasses education & training, sustainable builds and green infrastructure.

  • A new learning platform was created in collaboration with the Open University offering a range of courses around sustainability, skills development and wellbeing, most of which are free.
  • Six projects have received a contribution to deliver sustainable build solutions that showcase what can be achieved as part of delivering build projects.
  • Improving green infrastructure is important aspect and 2.54km of multi-use paths have been created linking with existing pathways and Town Deal projects.

Overall, the aim of the Robert Richards Initiative is to boost awareness of sustainability issues, improve active travel, enhance skills and support Glastonbury in becoming a carbon neutral town by 2030.

Project FAQs – Paths

How will the Town Deal funding improve walking and cycling in Glastonbury?
Path improvements provide safe routes for walkers and cyclists in and around the town which link with existing rights of way.

Where will the paths be installed in 2025?
The first paths were installed in 2023 at the Tor Sports & Leisure and have proved very popular with residents and visitors; a further path will be installed here in 2026.  Improvements to Willow Walk and Beckery paths have been completed in 2025-26.

An easy-access path has been laid across the Orchard Field and up onto Bride’s Mound which allows access to the less abled for the first time.  The scale of the hard standing at the top of the Mound caused considerable concerns. Following feedback, we removed the stone dust path on the top of Bride’s Mound in September 2025.  The former interpretation board on the Mound will soon be re-sited as part of the wider interpretation strategy for the Scheduled Monument and wider site.

What surface will the paths have?
Paths are unsealed limestone dust or hoggin (a mix of gravel, sand and clay) which allow for drainage.

Will new paths be new rights of way?
No, new paths will be permissive paths.  This is a quicker way of delivering paths and enables the landowner to carry out any maintenance works without having to apply for a formal closure or diversion.

When will the works be completed?
The paths have been delivered at different times since 2023 and will all will be completed in Summer 2026.