Millions of pounds will be poured into improving Glastonbury over the next four years following final approval by central government.

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 the initial funding announcement in mid-2021, Mendip District Council has put together detailed business cases for 11 projects, which were submitted to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) between June and August 2022.

The government has now formally confirmed that each of these business cases has been approved – meaning that the funding can now be released and the projects can get underway.

Dr Lynne Sedgmore CBE, chair of the Glastonbury town deal board, said: “This is a significant and very exciting moment for the whole town.

“We now know that we will definitely receive £23.6m from the government to deliver all eleven Glastonbury town deal projects. Every penny we bid for has been granted!

“I thank everyone involved for their contribution to this phenomenal success. We will take a moment to celebrate, then get right back to work on overseeing the delivery phase with our hard-working project partners.

“The next stage will now unfold and we look forward to informing and engaging everyone as best we can regarding the future transformation of our wonderful Glastonbury.”

Wells MP James Heappey, who serves as vice-chairman of the town deal board, said: “I could not be happier that Glastonbury has received the full £23.6m of government cash for the 11 projects put forward by the board.

“This is truly transformative and will benefit Glastonbury for generations to come. This wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and commitment of the whole board to bring the vision to life.

“It is now time to deliver the wide-ranging and exciting projects which will change our town for the better, bringing employment to our area and – crucially – provide opportunities to people living across mid-Somerset.”

The board and its project teams will now complete the necessary surveys and other assessments for each project, with planning applications being submitted to the council – or its unitary replacement – where appropriate.

An open day event will be organised in November to inform the local community about the updated projects, as well as provide opportunities for local contractors and suppliers to get involved in the project supply chains.

Preliminary works on each project could begin in early-2023, subject to permissions being granted, with all projects needing to be completed by  March 31, 2026.