Somerton has rejected an offer to decorate the Olympic torch relay route with official games flags and decorations after it emerged it would cost £15,000.

Michael Fraser-Hopewell, chairman of Somerton Town Council, revealed the huge cost as he gave an update on the torch procession plans after the town was selected as one of 1,000 locations to be visited by the Olympic flame later this year.

He said another reason the town decided to turn down the offer was due to there being a huge list of terms and conditions telling representatives where and how the official material could and could not be used.

He told Somerton Town Council last month: “The Olympic torch is coming through Somerton and we were approached and asked if we wanted to decorate the route with official flags.

“This would have been rather expensive.

“The whole route would have cost £15,000 and a small part would have been about £2,000.

“There is also a tremendous amount of administration involved due to commercial reasons. A lot of dos and don’ts, stating where certain sponsors could have their logos and where they couldn’t. A unanimous decision was taken that we should not get involved with the official material. We will go ahead with our own plans.”

In October it was revealed the town council had plans to mark three months of celebrations in the town by flying flags through the main streets.

In 2012, the town celebrates the 25th anniversary of the French twinning association in May, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in June, the 25th Somerton Summer Arts Festival in July, the 70th anniversary of the bombing of the milk factory in September, and the 800th year of St Michael’s and All Angels’ Church.

To mark the occasions in 2012, the town council’s communications committee suggested providing flagpoles to any group, club, business or association to use in the 69 redundant brackets in the town along West Street, Market Square and Broad Street.

Councillor Jane Cook said she was shocked by the number of terms and conditions the town would have had to have adhered to if they had opted to use official Olympic decorations.

She said: “I was horrified and the list of what we could and couldn’t do was endless. The cost was massive and I wouldn’t want to get involved in that.”

The 70-day Olympic relay will start at Land’s End in Cornwall on Saturday, May 19, and pass through south Somerset on Tuesday, May 22.

The flame will be carried across the UK by 8,000 inspirational torchbearers, each with a personal story of achievement or who have contributed to their local community.

On the tour of south Somerset it will pass through Ilminster, Yeovil and Ilchester. There are hopes that Wincanton could be involved too.

It will reach the Olympic Stadium on July 27 for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony, signifying the official start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The exact route is currently being kept confidential.

Yeovil Town Clerk Alan Tawse said plans to mark the Olympic Torch procession passing through the town were not yet finalised.

Philip Horsington, clerk to Ilchester Parish Council, said the parish would not be buying any official torch procession decorations.

He said councillors considered them too expensive and the council will provide alternative decorations to mark the procession and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Ilminster mayor Carol Goodall said she was unable to comment on its plans for the procession at this stage.