Key Yeovil car parks saved from future housing development

Somerset Council held a public consultation on its Yeovil town centre masterplan between September and November 2025, which detailed proposals to deliver new homes, commercial space and local facilities on four prominent brownfield sites in the heart of the town.

The masterplan intended to build on the public realm and active travel improvements delivered under the Yeovil Refresh, along with the ongoing demolition of Glovers Walk.

Numerous changes to the original proposals were made in response to the consultation, with Yeovil MP Adam Dance, local councillors and more than 5,000 residents all warning that building on the Court Ash and North Lane car parks would be detrimental to local businesses.

The council has now confirmed that these car parks will be protected as part of the masterplan, which was approved by the council's planning and transport policy executive sub-committee in Taunton on Wednesday afternoon (March 4).

Yeovil Refresh programme manager Ian Timms (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Ian Timms, the council's project manager for the Yeovil Refresh, addressed the sub-committee: "This masterplan provides a strategic framework for development in Yeovil town centre.

"It looks at the town centre as a whole - the economic structure, the strategic issues and constraints.

"We received significant responses to the consultation, including 575 responses online and just over 5,000 petition signatures. The businesses also carried out photographic occupancy surveys of the North Lane and Court Ash car parks, which was immensely helpful."

Four major changes have been made to the masterplan following the consultation:

• Removing the Court Ash and North Lane car parks as "opportunity sites"
• Reinforcing the design quality principles, to ensure future developments are complementary to Yeovil's existing character
• Strengthening the emphasis on regenerating brownfield sites - including the former Beales department store and the former cattle market (both of which are not in council ownership)
• Adding more emphasis on "community amenities" within the allocated sites, to ensure developments are not overly housing-heavy

The North Lane car park in Yeovil (Image: Daniel Mumby)

Mr Timms: "In terms of priorities, we will be looking to move the Glovers Walk and Wilko sites forward.

"We have left the Stars Lane car park in the plan, primarily because it includes the Box Factory and South Street car parks. These do need further exploration before they could be omitted in any future documents."

The masterplan will serve as a key document when the council determines any future planning applications on the allocated sites, whether they are schemes driven by public funding or those purely funded through the private sector.

Councillor Mike Rigby, portfolio holder for economy development and planning, said that the removal of Court Ash and North Lane meant he and his counterparts had been "welcomed like local heroes" at a public meeting organised by Mr Dance in Yeovil on January 29.

Councillor Graham Oakes, portfolio holder for public health, climate change and the environment, added: "It's so reassuring that when you consult local people, they clearly tell you what they think, and you change the plan to go along with what they think - anyone would think we were a listening council.

"This is how councils should be run. We've had to go through a lot of flak to get to this point.

"I would reiterate the fact that there is an appetite for development in Yeovil - particularly on the Box Factory site, which has been dragging on for many years."

Council leader Bill Revans concurred: "We fully appreciate that when you go out with some ideas of what to do, there are going to be things that people don't like - and that's what consultation is about.

"We've done that, we've listened to local residents, and we've got a good proposal across the line."

Plans for the redevelopment of the Glovers Walk site in Yeovil (Image: Somerset Council)

Mr Dance described the council's decision as "a huge win for Yeovil" that had been borne out of "months of sustained pressure" by local residents. 

Speaking after the meeting on January 29, he said "It is great to see our Liberal Democrat team listening to business concerns at every step of the way and working hard to deliver results.

"After nine long years of neglect under Marcus Fysh and the Conservatives, I will continue to do everything in my power to support Yeovil and take its voice to Westminster."