Octagon Theatre regeneration plans delayed again
Somerset Council officers revealed the outline business case still hasn’t been submitted to the government.
A planned £15m regeneration of the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil has been delayed again after Somerset Council officers revealed the outline business case still hasn’t been submitted to the government.
The council originally intended to undertake a £30m revamp of the venue (which was temporarily closed in April 2023), but this was put on hold in October 2023 in light of high inflation and interest rates.
The council is now pursuing a scaled-down redevelopment costing £15m, and originally intended for the venue to reopen in time for the 2026 pantomime season.
Officers indicated in March – shortly after the council passed its annual budget – that it intended to submit the outline business case to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) by “the spring of 2025”.
But Andrew Pulsford, the council’s project and change manager, has admitted that this still hasn’t happened – adding potentially months to the build programme.
Mr Pulsford made his admission as part of a presentation published before a meeting of the council’s communities scrutiny committee on Thursday (August 7).
He said that a design team had been procured for the scaled-down scheme, but the outline business case was now being targeted for “autumn 2025”.
He elaborated: “The project board reviewed the concept design on June 4.
“Members endorsed the proposed design, which includes the functionality to fly scenery, and supported the project moving onto the next more detailed design phase.
“Both Somerset Council and Yeovil Town Council have secured the funding necessary for the design phases of the project.”
Of the £15m budget for the theatre’s regeneration, £10m comes from a ring-fenced DCMS grant, which was first secured in March 2021.
Yeovil Town Council – which will eventually end up responsible for running the venue – will contribute £3.75m, with the remaining being secured from local housing developments and local fundraising.
To date, Somerset Council has spent £473,000 on the project – with officers revealing in April 2024 that it was costing in the region of £140,000 to keep the venue closed and in a good condition until the project could move forward.
The project needs to move through various design stages which are estimated to cost £1,725,000 – a cost which will be split between the two councils.
Once construction finally gets under way, the government grant funding will be officially drawn down.
Mr Pulsford said: “We have shared the funding agreement for phase one and the collaboration agreement for the project with both Somerset Council and Yeovil Town council officers, and are in the process of reaching agreement on
these documents.
“Additionally, we have discussed the asset transfer of the Octagon as part of the wider tranche three of the devolution programme, with further meetings planned.
“The next phase will be a further design phase where more detailed design issues are worked through. We will then consult with the public on the design.
“Following the consultation, we will then collate and submit an outline business case to DCMS in the autumn.”
The public consultation on the revised proposals will be led by the town council and is expected to take place in August.
Mr Pulsford said that a new planning application would have to be submitted to Somerset Council to allow the project to move forward.
His presentation did not include a commitment to when this would take place, or any target re-opening date for the venue.