Councillors conceded that they are still not one hundred per cent sure of the costs involved one the Town Hall re-opens.

At a council meeting on February 6, they heard that the new business plan, which has reportedly been revised for more accurate figures, is still not a

After an hour prior to the public being allowed into their meeting at The Hollies in Midsomer Norton, councillors were presented with a new business plan for the town hall.

The new plan was requested at the last meeting of the council and was debated in a private session where the press was excluded.

Councillors wanted to know, with more exact figures in a budget, how much it will cost to run and how much money it might bring in.

The cost of the actual renovation of the Town Hall is already over budget.

Midsomer Norton residents have long been promised that the Town Hall will be self sufficient and not need any money from tax payers to be run successfully.

Cllr Shaun Hughes said that after seeing the latest business plan that he thought it was " wildly optimistic" particularly in terms of how much it would cost to heat and light, and that the figures did not add up.

Cllrs spent a long time debating whether a figure of £12,500 was grant, and where was that sum coming from, asking if that meant the funding would come from the council to keep the hall running.

Cllr Martin Thatcher said like any business, you can't always know all the costs involved: " It is going to take at least a year to see how much it (the renovated Town Hall) costs to run".

Deputy Mayor Cllr Martyn Plant said: " It is a plan and although we cannot have exact figures, it is starting point. It is not binding on us."

Cllr Cheryl Scott expressed concerns about the continuing lack of clear and precise details on the management of the hall. She said: " I don't think we should say just get on it with it.... How are we to know they will deliver ?How are we sure, given this business plan, that it is relatively sustainable ?"

The Town Council finally agreed to accept 'in principal' the new revised business plan for the Town Hall, subject to a review of the grant funding.

It is still not clear when the hall will re-open for business. It has been closed since September 12 2022.

The discussions about how to manage the newly refurbished Town Hall and how much it will cost to run have been on going for over a year.