YWPC response to Somerset Council’s Yeovil Masterplan Public Consultation

Yeovil Without Parish Council welcomes the opportunity to comment on Somerset Council’s Yeovil Masterplan Consultation. As a neighbouring parish closely connected to Yeovil through shared amenities, employment, and transport links, we recognise the importance of Yeovil’s continued regeneration and future growth.

While our council does not object to the principle of the Yeovil Masterplan or its aims to enhance the town centre, we wish to express our support for Yeovil Town Council’s concerns regarding the proposed redevelopment or loss of key car parks — namely Stars Lane, North Lane, and Court Ash.

Our parish residents regularly travel to Yeovil for shopping, leisure, and essential services, and the availability of accessible and affordable parking is vital to sustaining that relationship. The potential loss of such a significant proportion of Yeovil’s public parking capacity would likely reduce the convenience and attractiveness of the town centre, affecting not only Yeovil residents but also those from surrounding parishes who rely on the town’s facilities.

We are also concerned that Yeovil Without Parish Council was not invited to participate in the early stages of consultation or engaged as a stakeholder in the Masterplan’s development. Our involvement to date has come primarily through local residents contacting the Parish Council to express their concerns and objections to the proposed car park redevelopments. We believe that more inclusive and transparent consultation with surrounding communities would lead to better-informed and more widely supported outcomes.

We therefore support Yeovil Town Council’s request that Somerset Council reconsiders the current proposals to redevelop these central car parks and ensures that any future revisions to the Masterplan include meaningful engagement with neighbouring parish councils and the wider community.

Yeovil Without Parish Council remains committed to working collaboratively with both Somerset Council and Yeovil Town Council to achieve a balanced and sustainable regeneration plan that benefits Yeovil and its surrounding parishes alike.