AN iconic slice of Somerset’s history will be more attractive for visitors to access after new plans were approved.
Glastonbury was one of 101 towns across the UK – and one of only two in Somerset – which has received funding from the government’s towns fund, with £23.6m being provided for projects designed to enhance the town centre and improve the town’s fortunes.
Following final approval of the business cases in September 2022, Glastonbury Abbey published plans in November 2022 for how the approach to the abbey would be enhanced through a new piazza and improved visitor facilities.
Mendip District Council has now approved these plans, allowing work to commence on site after the summer.
The abbey (which is a nationally scheduled monument) is currently accessed through the abbey gatehouse on Magdalene Street, with visitors being able to visit both the gift shop and the museum before or after they walk around.
Under the proposals, a new “open piazza space” will be created between the gatehouse and the abbey grounds themselves, designed to “improve connectivity with the town centre”.
The existing shop and café building will be extended and refurbished, as will the museum, with new accessible toilet facilities being provided on site.
The former shop and store building will also be demolished to provide more space for visitors.
The council and abbey hope the changes will encourage more people to visit the area, generating footfall for local businesses and boosting the town’s cultural strengths.
Janet Bell MBE, director of Glastonbury Abbey, said: “We are delighted that we have received planning permission so that our project can go ahead.
“We have already received our scheduled monuments consent, which was also necessary for such an important archaeological site.
“We are now looking forward to working with our project team and stakeholders on the more detailed aspects of the designs for the buildings and landscaping of the piazza area.
“We expect work to start on site in September this year and are working towards completion in May or June 2024.”
The abbey piazza is the second Glastonbury town deal project to be granted planning permission, after the council’s planning board backed plans in December 2022 for the creation of the new Glastonbury community sports and leisure hub on the Tor Leisure site off the A361 Street Road.
Councillor Jon Cousins, the current mayor of Glastonbury and a member of the Glastonbury town deal board, said: “This project is very close to my heart, for two reasons.
“Firstly, the abbey itself is the reason why modern-day Glastonbury is here. Many thousands of people come to the abbey every year and this project will greatly enhance the visitor experience.
“The piazza will provide an opportunity for people to come and enjoy the abbey environment without necessarily paying to go in. They will be able to rest, relax and get a real flavour of what the abbey is all about.
“Secondly, it will tie in with the developments we’re planning with the town hall for a glass atrium as part of the health and well-being hub at St. Dunstan’s House, which is also part of the town deal.
“This is something that the abbey has wanted to do for a long time, as is the case with many of the town deal projects.
“As well as creating a unified entrance way into an extraordinary piece of history, it will create a space in the heart of Glastonbury that will bring people and places together.
“This government funding is a great thing for the town as it’s giving Glastonbury the ability to realise some of its long-held dreams.”
#Throwback to last year's Night at the Abbey with this spooky shot from Pacific Curd Photography.
— Glastonbury Abbey (@GlastonburyAbbe) February 16, 2023
Discounted advance tickets for Night at the Abbey 2023 with headline act Reef are on sale now: https://t.co/5ppYFKDFfJ#ThrowbackThursday #NightAtTheAbbey #Music #Lights pic.twitter.com/Zd0rn41xjE
The piazza project has been allocated £940,000 through the town deal for capital expenditure, with an additional £500,000 of match-funding being sought.
A decision on the proposed health and well-being hub near St. Dunstan’s House is expected to be made by the new unitary Somerset Council by the late-spring.
For further information on all 11 town deal projects, visit www.glastonburytowndeal.co.uk.
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