A large number of Somerset CC staff & management, plus councillors of all political parties, are directly involved in massive fraud. This is the only way they have been able to sequester millions of pounds of Glastonbury Town Deal funds and escape accountability. As such, the CEO and all management are guilty of Gross Misconduct in Public Office, Embezzlement and Fraud and should be brought to account for their blatant malfeasance. All individuals involved must be fully investigated, then prosecuted with the full force of the law, lose their pensions and be banned from any further Public Office.
https://www.change.org/p/demand-accountability-and-transparency-from-somerset-council
"3.7 Conflict of Interest — PROVEN DOCUMENTED:
• Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE = Chair of Town Deal Board + Chair of Red Brick Building Centre Ltd — appointed by Somerset Council
• Her husband — JOHN CAPPER = Sole Owner / Director of Beckery Construction Ltd — the company paid £2.39M of public money
• Conflict of interest WAS declared in early 2024 documents → DELETED / REMOVED from all later published versions by Somerset Council
• Beckery Construction Ltd is 100% subsidiary of Red Brick Building Centre Ltd — same board controlled both sides of the contract. "
The scandals include the misspending & fraud at Tor Leisure:
THE £2.2 MILLION CARPET: MANSION VALUE OR CONSULTANCY SINK?
The community is starting to do the math, and the numbers don’t add up.
THE COMPARISON:
As pointed out by local residents, £2.2 Million in the Somerset property market can buy a 26-acre historic manor house. It is a generational asset of immense value.
THE REALITY AT TOR LEISURE:
For that same £2.2 Million of your tax money, what did the Town Deal actually deliver? According to those on the ground, the "major extension" was cancelled, and we got:
- NO Promised Extension
- New Carpets
- An Extended Patio
- A bit of gravel
THE FORENSIC GAP:
If the visible work—the carpets and the patio—costs a tiny fraction of the budget, where is the remaining £2.1 Million?
This is the "Consultancy Sink" in action. While the building is handed over to a failing operator (now in administration), millions of pounds have vanished into "management fees," "reports," and "surveys" that the community never requested and can’t use.
THE STING IN THE TAIL:
It’s not just about the missing millions. While the Council "spent" £2.2m on carpets, they signed over a 125-year lease to a private operator that has now collapsed. If that lease is sold by liquidators to pay off corporate debts, we risk losing the land itself. We paid for the "refurbishment" of a building we might no longer own.
THE GTP DEMAND:
We aren’t just looking for the big numbers anymore. We are looking for the Itemised Invoices. We want to see exactly how much the taxpayer was charged for those carpets and that patio.
The "Not Robust" audit (Page 55) already flagged these failures. The Council cannot say they weren't warned.
The May 12th Deadline is approaching.
Accountability isn't a "timeline puzzle"—it’s a bank statement. ️
The Scrutiny: When you see the £2.2 Million Farmhouse (top), you are looking at hundreds of years of stonework, 15 acres of land, a separate cottage, stables, and a swimming pool. That is what a "generational asset" looks like for that price.
Then you look at the Tor Leisure building (bottom). Even with the most expensive "new carpets and patio," it is impossible to see where £2.2 Million of taxpayer money went.
The Forensic Conclusion:
• The Building: It's an existing structure. No new walls were built, and the extension was cancelled.
• The Math: If the visible work (carpets/paint/patio) cost even £200,000 (which is a generous estimate), there is still £2 MILLION missing.
In the private sector, that £2m buys you the entire estate at the top of your image. In the "Town Deal" world, it apparently vanishes into thin air—or what we call the "Consultancy Sink."
