As I landed in the heart of Yeovil earlier this week, demolition was underway. Witnessing an excavator dismantle a building as effortlessly as a child knocking over a sandcastle was quite the spectacle. Wandering further up Middle Street, what struck me was the extensive line up of barriers and the sight of construction workers labouring under the blazing sun. Stumbling upon the Triangle, Yeovil’s newly pedestrianised zone and keystone of an ambitious regeneration plan, its unused water feature and dormant jumbotron screen especially caught my attention that day.
With a hefty £24 million budget, the Yeovil Refresh project is on a mission to breathe new life into the town. Somerset Council has high hopes for it, thinking it will not only bolster green spaces but also bring job opportunities, tourist activities, residential development in the town centre, and make Yeovil more pleasant for strolls.
The Triangle now boasts an amphitheatre-like setup for entertainment, art displays, and a generous screen alongside its water feature. The wider Yeovil Refresh scheme lays out plans for revamping Glovers Walk, enhancing road networks and pedestrian routes alike.
Still, progress doesn’t happen overnight, and my visit found Yeovil very much a work in progress. Talking to a local revealed a simmering frustration: “People are a bit annoyed about this scaffolding being up so bloody long!”, reports Somerset Live.
Yeovil is positively aching for a stroke of good fortune; the widely used Number 11 bus service just got the chop. Numerous locals have raised homelessness as a burning issue.
At Yeovil Hospital, alarm bells have rung leading to the temporary shutdown of its Special Care Baby Unit and inpatient maternity services halted, after safety concerns surged regarding infant and child care. The oversight body earlier this year, the Care Quality Commission, found the hospital in dire need of substantial improvements.
Further straining spirits, the reopening of the cherished Octagon Theatre is marred by continuous setbacks. And adding salt to the wound, crime rates soar at 68% above the regional mean.
Yet, it’s not all grim; Yeovil did bag the title of Somerset’s most affordable property hotspot last year. A silver lining, perhaps – this town could definitely do with some luck.
Local bartender Steff, 26, has stuck around in Yeovil for a decade but wouldn’t mind bidding adieu, confessing: “I don’t really spend a lot of time in town- I think it’s a bit dead. […] It’s a ghost town.” On the flip side, David, 52, holds an admirably cheery outlook, extolling the virtues of his hometown: “It’s just so nice. when you want some peace and quiet, it’s the place to be.”
While David resides a few miles outside of Yeovil, he visits the town daily, showcasing his affection for it. He is particularly fond of the medieval St John the Baptist Church, with its picturesque green lawns perfect for picnics. David finds the regeneration project “lovely”, although he is slightly disappointed that the water feature has not been activated yet.
In contrast to their differing views on the town, Steff and David share similar sentiments when asked why property prices are so low in Yeovil. Steff candidly replied, “Because nobody wants to live here”, while David surmised, “Because people might not want to live down the side of a dirty alleyway”. It is uncertain whether the Refresh project will increase Yeovil’s popularity as a place to reside, work, or visit, but it is a hopeful prospect.
As the day drew to a close, a cloud of dust swept down Middle Street, carried by the wind from the construction site, causing pedestrians to grimace and shield their faces. The dust stung my eyes, forcing me to blink. Change is on the horizon, but meaningful progress is not always swift, effortless, or convenient. Only time will reveal whether Yeovil’s Refresh project will yield desirable results.