Town's theatre and big TV screen delayed

A giant LED screen will be installed, which will broadcast major sporting fixtures

A new amphitheatre will not be completed until the end of autumn, Somerset Council confirmed.

Work at The Triangle, in Yeovil, was originally scheduled to finish at the end of summer. A 16ft (5m) wide LED screen will also be installed, as well as water features.

The work is part of the £24m Yeovil Refresh regeneration scheme, which includes a government grant of £9.7m.

Shoppers visiting the town centre have had to contend with disruption since work began, with the nearest shops only accessible by narrow fenced-off walkways.

Council leaders hope the new amphitheatre will make it easier to host open-air events, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Delays were confirmed by officers in a report published before Somerset Council’s executive convened in Taunton on 2 September.

The work was originally meant to finish by the end of summer

Nicola Hix, the council’s director of finance and procurement, said: “The remaining live section at the Triangle is expected to be complete by the end of quarter two.

"Snagging and final elements of the work will continue through quarter two."

Yeovil has been undergoing major redevelopment work since 2019, which the council said would "provide a town centre for the 21st Century".

The project, called Yeovil Refresh, includes new walking and cycling routes, and improved public transport links to Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations.

About £4.7m of the government grant was allocated towards the Yeovil Refresh public realm improvements, with the remaining £4.9m being set aside to bring forward new developments within the town centre.