Eavis and Corbyn celebrate Pilton social housing project

26th October 2017

Earlier today, Michael Eavis welcomed Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to Pilton to celebrate the beginning of the final stage of his landmark social housing project.

“These are houses for village people to live in and they will never be sold,” says Michael Eavis. “My dream was to have 50 houses available for the Festival’s 50th anniversary in 2020. Today we are one step nearer to making that dream a reality.”

The first building project started in 1990 as 10 houses known as ‘Oathills’, the original name of the field. Then, ten years later came the completion of ‘John Burn’s Cottages’, 12 houses funded by Hastoe Housing. The land and the stone were provided free of charge from Worthy Farm, with contributions for dressing the stone from the Workers Beer Company, who provide bars at the Festival. HRH Prince Charles opened John Burn’s Cottages and met the tenants in 2010.

Now we have completed another 13 houses, working with the Guinness Partnership and builders EG Carter, known as ‘Maggie’s Farm’. These were visited by David Beckham this year, who planted a walnut tree.

Plans are now well ahead to complete the whole scheme with a further 15 houses to make a total of 50, which will coincide with the Festival’s 50th anniversary year, 2020.

Photos: Jason Bryant