Earlier this week, I arrived in Yeovil’s town centre amid the hustle and bustle of demolition and construction. An excavator dismantled walls with the ease of a child demolishing a sandcastle, signaling the start of a massive transformation.
Further up Middle Street, queues of barriers and scaffolding lined the streets, where workers braved the blazing sun. The Triangle, a newly pedestrianised space featuring an amphitheatre-style entertainment area, art installations, a large screen, and an inactive water feature, stands at the heart of the ambitious Yeovil Refresh scheme.
With a £24 million investment led by Somerset Council, the Yeovil Refresh project aims to rejuvenate the town by increasing green spaces, boosting employment opportunities, attracting tourists, adding residential properties in the town centre, and enhancing walkability.
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Alongside The Triangle, plans include redeveloping Glovers Walk and upgrading road systems and walkways to benefit all users. Yet, progress feels slow and frustrating to some locals. “People are a bit annoyed about this scaffolding being up so bloody long!” shared one long-term resident.
Yeovil faces a mix of challenges: public transport cuts, rising homelessness concerns, and recent pressures on Yeovil Hospital. The hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit and inpatient maternity services were temporarily closed after safety concerns, with the Care Quality Commission demanding significant improvements. The much-loved Octagon Theatre’s reopening has been repeatedly delayed, while crime rates in Yeovil soar 68% above regional averages.
Still, Yeovil is the cheapest place to buy property in Somerset—a double-edged sword. For some, like 26-year-old bartender Steff, the town feels lifeless: “I don’t really spend a lot of time in town—I think it’s a bit dead… It’s a ghost town.” Conversely, David, 52, who lives just outside town, has a more optimistic view. He finds peace in Yeovil’s slower pace and admires landmarks like St John the Baptist Church. He praises the regeneration efforts as “lovely,” though he’s disappointed the water feature hasn’t been activated yet.
Both Steff and David agree on why property prices remain low: a perception that people don’t want to live here. “Because nobody wants to live here,” Steff says, while David adds, “Because people might not want to live down the side of a dirty alleyway.”
Will the Yeovil Refresh project turn the tide and make the town a more attractive place to live, work, and visit? Hopefully so, though the path ahead looks challenging.
As I left, a cloud of dust from the construction site drifted through Middle Street, momentarily masking the scene of ongoing change. The process is neither quick nor easy, but perhaps it’s just what Yeovil needs to shed its “ghost town” label and emerge renewed.