'No deal' for Morland's tannery site in Glastonbury

Utilities have been installed and roads to the site have been built

A former tannery site in Somerset will not be taken over by the council.

Mendip District Council had originally agreed to take over the Morlands site in Glastonbury from the South West Regional Development Agency.

But council leader Harvey Siggs said it had not been able to broker a deal that was in the best interest of local taxpayers.

A development agency spokesman said it was confident a private sector buyer would come forward and buy the site.

"It's important the Morlands Enterprise Park moves on to a successful conclusion," he said.

"We would have liked to have been around to see this finished - the site has improved since the RDA took it on in 2001.

"We've made a lot of progress at Morlands. We've cleared derelict buildings and removed pollutants from the site and put in roads," he added.

'Long term eyesore'

Mr Siggs said he welcomed the decision to put Morlands on the open market but questioned whether the market was there to attract the private sector.

"For a long time this has remained a derelict site, but despite some regeneration, this continues to be a long term eyesore in the middle of our district," he said.

"At all times we have stressed the need to provide a viable and acceptable plan for the refurbishment and future plan for the listed buildings. Unfortunately, the RDA has been unable to come up with this plan."

In the 1960s the former Morlands tannery employed hundreds of workers, but when the sheepskin industry declined it was neglected.