Residents of iconic Glastonbury building launch crowdfunder to connect premises to National Grid as appeal decision looms

People living in an iconic Glastonbury building are crowd-funding to connect their premises to the National Grid to allow them to hold more public events. The Zig Zag Building lies on Morland Road in the Beckery area of Glastonbury, and was once part of the Morland factory complex.

Since 2013, the building has been a hub for exhibitions, performances, and community gatherings, as well as hosting an off-grid project focused on sustainable living. Following enforcement action by Somerset Council, a public inquiry was held in April to determine whether the residents will have to be evicted - with the Planning Inspectorate expected to publish its final ruling by the end of the summer.

The residents of the Zig Zag Building are now seeking £8,000 via crowd-funding to reconnect the building to the mains power grid, allowing them to hold a wider range of events and help to secure the building's long-term future. The building, constructed in the Bauhaus architectural style, was built in 1934 and remained in active commercial use until 1980.

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The site remained vacant until Chris Black purchased it in 2013, and has since been used for art exhibitions, creative workspaces and pop-up events. In a statement published on the building's GoFundMe page, Rohan Black explained: "The Zig Zag Building has been inspiring Glastonbury's creative community for more than ten years now.

"This sanctuary feeds, nourishes, connects, encourages and tends to the creative soul so that it can emerge and flourish in the world. Whatever the outcome of the public inquiry, the building needs to be brought up to regulation in order to protect its future as a community space."

The residents' group have already raised £2,088 via GoFundMe and around £10,000 through community fundraising events and private donations- which was spent on legal fees and "specialist planning reports" ahead of the inquiry. Mr Black elaborated: "This fundraiser is now specifically focused on getting mains electricity installed at Zig Zag.

"This is necessary for the fire department to sign off the fire alarm, without which we cannot run community events. Although we have functioning solar, there is no leeway on this. Electricity will also help immeasurably to provide power in the winter months.

"The national grid company have quoted us £7,349 to install mains electricity, which includes digging the highway but not the land inside the Zig Zag, which we will need to dig independently - so £8,000 is needed to achieve this goal."

National Grid has given the group 85 days from June 2 to commission the work - meaning the money must be raised in its entirety by August 26.

To donate to the Zig Zag crowd-funder, visit www.gofundme.com/f/donations-to-support-zig-zag.