Members of the Midsomer Norton Community Trust have announced there is now ‘zero chance’ the town’s popular music festival will go ahead this year due to ongoing funding uncertainty.

The festival, along with two other flagship community events the Midsomer Norton Town Fayre and the Christmas Lights Switch-On, face an uncertain future after town councillors deferred a decision on the trust’s application for financial support during a meeting on Monday, March 3.

The free community event was attended by almost 8,000 people over the course of the past two years and showcased a range of local bands. The event provides performance opportunities for local artists, including scores of children from local schools and colleges.

The funding decision was delayed after councillors deferred a recommendation made by the clerk to the council, who had proposed awarding £27,000 in grants to support these community events.

The deferral means that organisers will have to wait until April’s full council meeting for a final decision, which will be too late for organisers of the music festival to make arrangements for the event which is traditionally held in early June.

Alex Davis, manager of the Midsomer Norton Community Trust which facilities the events, described the decision as a “major blow to the community” but thanked the councillors who had supported the grant applications. The initial grant application for the events was submitted in November 2024.

Alex hoped that July’s family extravaganza, the Midsomer Norton Fayre, which involves more than 60 of the town’s community groups as well as local schools and traders, would get the go ahead in April as it now faces a race against time.

Alex said there was ”disappointment among volunteers” that those who made the decision to defer the application had not raised their queries earlier in the past four months.

A separate application for core funding for the running of the trust – which is claimed to have suffered substantial losses due to the delays in the council’s Town hall refurbishment project - was also deferred due to a request for more information. The trust confirmed it would welcome the chance to do so “at the earliest opportunity”.

In addition to the event funding applications, the trust also sought a £15,000 grant for core funding to support its essential operations. This includes the upkeep of community spaces such as the Somer Centre and Orchard Hall, which provide space for numerous groups who host local activities.

The trust has struggled financially due to the extended closure of the Town Hall, one of its primary sources of income, which has been shut for more than two years so a refurbishment project can be carried out.

The deferral of the core funding application means the trust’s ongoing financial strain is expected to continue, exacerbating the pressure on its ability to support these community spaces and events.