Yeovil town council launches Octagon funding consultation

YEOVIL Town Council has launched a public consultation on funding support for the development and reopening of the currently closed Octagon. The town council wants residents to give their views on whether it should contribute £3,964,500 (including Stamp Duty) towards the future of one of Yeovil’s most significant cultural venues that helps to support the economic prosperity of the town.

The consultation asks whether Yeovil residents are in favour of the project which would mean borrowing £3,325,000 – and whether the town council should go ahead with the loan and financial contribution, if it includes a Council Tax precept increase of 3.3% for the purpose of the loan repayment.

This would equate to an annual Council Tax increase of £11.60 for an average Band D property (or 22p per week) over a 20-year period – 85.3% of properties in the parish of Yeovil are below Band D, so contributions for most households would be less than this amount.

The Octagon Theatre development project has recently reached a key milestone with the concept design stage now complete and artists’ impressions can now be shared (see image). The development would see the theatre redeveloped, refurbished and renewed to secure its future for generations. The design proposals are:
• Refurbishing the auditorium with new seating and carpets
• A new studio for classes in dance, music, theatre and creative art
• A greatly improved café bar area open throughout the day
• Improved front of house customer facilities, with more toilets, more accessible toilets, gender neutral toilets and a Changing Places facility
• Improved accessibility throughout the venue
• Improvements to the stage house and backstage area to significantly improve technical aspects of productions.

Under the new scheme, the theatre is currently projected to reopen in the 2028/29 financial year. Following its reopening, the theatre would transfer under the ownership of Yeovil Town Council. The Octagon closed at the end of April 2023 for survey works to take place ahead of planned development. Months later, Somerset Council which currently owns the theatre and had planned to redevelop it, declared plans to develop the Octagon were not viable due to the financial emergency and increases in interest and inflation that impacted the cost of borrowing and construction.

In October 2023, Yeovil Town Council held an emergency meeting and voted to work in partnership with Somerset Council and offer support to see the Octagon Theatre developed and reopened. Since then, work has been going on behind the scenes, on a total budget of £15 million, with funding from central government (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport), Yeovil Town Council, Ticket Levy, Somerset Council, plus fundraising and other grants.

Yeovil Town Council leader Andy Soughton says: “This is your opportunity to have your say on the funding of the Octagon Theatre and ultimately ensure that the new and improved venue reopens. We believe that the Octagon Theatre is a vital part of the cultural and leisure offering of our town and Yeovil Town Council can play a big part in the future of our town and the success of the theatre.” The council has sent letters to each household in the parish.

For more information, visit the Yeovil Town Council website at www.yeovil.gov.uk/octagon-theatre or attend one of two open events that will be held at Westlands Entertainment Venue on Thursday 28th August, from 2 to 4pm and Wednesday 3rd September, 6-8pm. The consultation will formally close on Sunday 21st September.