Next phase of the Yeovil Refresh gets underway
The scheme is itended to revitalise the town centre and local transport links
Yeovil residents and businesses will face further disruption over the Christmas period as the latest round of improvements to the town centre begin.
The ongoing Yeovil Refresh, instigated by South Somerset District Council, is intended to revitalise the town centre by delivering improvements to the public realm and local transport and trying to encourage new development.
The programme, which is partially funded from the government’s future high streets fund, has been beset by issues and delays, leading residents to claim the town centre looks like a “bomb site”.
Somerset Council (which replaced the district council in April) has now announced details and timings of the next phase of the programme, which will focus on Wyndham Street and other roads at the eastern end of the town centre.
The new phase of the Yeovil Refresh will focus on improving local drainage to reduce the flood risk, aligning kerbs to ensure the roads meet national highway standards, and resurfacing key roads and footpaths in the local area to make them safer for vehicles and pedestrians.
The affected areas will be coned off with traffic lights being in place where needed, while businesses on the impacted streets will remain open throughout and both pedestrian and vehicular access will be maintained.
Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for transport and digital, said: “The Yeovil Refresh is an ambitious programme of works to improve and enhance Yeovil town centre for all. Our aim is to attract investment, to make Yeovil an appealing place to visit and an enjoyable place to live.
“The programme has not been without its challenges; however we are committed to delivering the planned development, public realm and transport system enhancements and we remain on track to do so.
“Works have recently completed on Wine Street and Westminster Street; works at the Borough, High Street, and the Triangle continue apace.
“Works to date have included underground utility maintenance, renewal and diversion, installation of new kerb lines, modernisation of paving, upgraded drainage systems and the installation of street furnishings and soft landscaping, ensuring a sustainable basis for the future.
“The next phase due to commence in the Wyndham Street area will see further progress and improvement, and we along with our partners will be working hard to ensure that disruption is minimised and that businesses in the area of works continue to be kept in regular contact throughout.”
The work on this section of the Yeovil Refresh will be divided into three phases, with regular meeting being held with Yeovil Town Council and the Yeovil Chamber of Commerce to ensure they are up to date and made aware of any disruption.
Phase one, which will begin on Monday (September 25), will focus on the right-hand side of Middle Street and the section of Newton Road between Middle Street and South Western Terrace.
This will include the widening of pavements to make it easier for pedestrians, installing on-street parking bays on Newton Road and introducing raised beds for planting on the same street.
Phase two, which will run from November 1 to December 15, will focus on the area known locally as the ‘Reckleford Triangle’, with improved crossing points being created at the junctions of Middle Street, Wyndham Street, Sherborne Road and Newton Road.
Phase three, which will begin on December 15 and be completed on February 1, 2024, will focus on the other half of Middle Street.
The Wyndham Street section of the Yeovil Refresh was thrown into jeopardy last year due to rising costs elsewhere in the project – until the district council voted in August 2022 to allocate an additional £891,000 from its reserves to allow the improvements to proceed.
The entire project will cost in the region of £24m, of which £9.75m comes from central government, and is intended to “deliver an appealing, safer and fit-for-purpose environment for residents, visitors and businesses.”
Traffic management will be in place in the area until late-January 2024, with temporary traffic lights coming into use at the end of the works only, to enable resurfacing of the streets.
A spokesperson at South West Highways Ltd., the principal contractor for the Yeovil Refresh, said: “We are visiting the businesses within the works area and will be keeping regular contact with them during the works.
“We are committed to ensuring that these businesses remain accessible throughout the works and that disruption to residents, visitors and businesses alike is minimised.”