The public consultation period for Yeovil's Local Plan is coming to an end, as the council looks to facilitate more than 4,000 new homes in the town.

The Local Plan sets out South Somerset District Council's "preferred sites" for housing development in Yeovil .

As part of its plan, the council has identidified four town centre car parks as "options" for development.

Box Factory Car Park has been earmarked for redevelopment
Box Factory Car Park has been earmarked for redevelopment

The Box Factory Car Park, South Street Car Park, Court Ash Car Park and South Street Market Car Park at Petters Way have all been highlighted as proposed areas for housing.

The decision to earmark these car parks was branded "another short sighted nail in the high street coffin" by angry local shoppers earlier this year.

There is just one month left for locals to give their views on these plans, as the public consultation period ends on September 18.

A senior councillor has assured the public that their views would be taken on board.

South Street Market Car Park at Petters Way has been highlighted as a "preferred site" for housing
South Street Market Car Park at Petters Way has been highlighted as a "preferred site" for housing

The council has also commissioned a third party to conduct a comprehensive car park review for the town centre as part of its Yeovil Refresh regeneration project.

The review was completed in early 2019, and a document detailing "suggestions for possible development opportunities" at town centre car parks was drafted.

However, the council has refused to disclose this document to Somerset Live on numerous occasions, and a spokesman said that it would not be made available to the public until the authority has formed its action plan.

The council has previously been criticized over "secrecy" regarding its plans for Yeovil town centre.

Yeovil resident Nicholas Whitsun-Jones said he was concerned about "secrecy in the decision-making process" for the Yeovil Refresh regeneration project.

Other town centre sites earmarked for development by the council include the former cattle market site and Glovers Walk shopping precinct.

You can take a look at the town centre locations set out as "preferred sites" by the council below

South Somerset District Council's "preferred sites" for development in Yeovil town centre, including three car parks
South Somerset District Council's "preferred sites" for development in Yeovil town centre, including three car parks

The Local Plan for Yeovil

Earlier this year, SSDC published an updated list of "preferred options" - sites where housing would best be delivered if it had its way.

Under the revised Local Plan, a total of 14,510 new homes would be built up to 2036 in South Somerset at the rate of 726 per year - around two per day.

Of these new homes, one in every three would be built in Yeovil.

Take a look at the locations earmarked on the outskirts of Yeovil below

The following sites are among those identified within the new Local Plan as preferred options for housing in Yeovil: 

  • Land at the Box Factory, Yeovil (85 homes)
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  • Land north west of Brimsmore Key Site, Yeovil (200 homes)
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  • Land east of Brimsmore Gardens, Yeovil (200 homes)
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  • Land at Cattle Market site, Yeovil (80 homes)
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  • Land at Eastville Road, Yeovil (12 homes)
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  • Land at Glovers Walk/ Yeovil bus station, Yeovil (100 homes)
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  • Land south of Keyford Key Site, Yeovil (265 homes)
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  • Land at Mudford Road, Yeovil (25 homes)
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  • Land at Petters Way, Yeovil (20 homes)
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  • Land at the former bus depot, Reckleford, Yeovil (100 homes)
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  • Land north of St Michael's Road/ Victoria Road, Yeovil (20 homes)

This list does not include The North Sustainable Urban Extension, Yeovil (765 homes, 2.58 hectares of employment land) which has previously been identified as a key site.

Councillor Angie Singleton, portfolio holder for strategic planning, has assured councillors and the public that their views would be taken on board.

She said: "There will be many opportunities for members of the public to comment on what is in these proposals, and it will be coming back to this council for approval before anything else happens."

A further round of public consultation will take place in early-2020 before the finalised plan is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.

The Inspectorate will examine the plan in detail, giving its verdict and making any necessary changes in 2021, after which the council will officially adopt the new Local Plan.

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