Plans Submitted for New Yeovil Food Store

20 October 2009

Around 35 new jobs could be created in Yeovil if plans for a new supermarket store come to fruition.

Plans have been submitted to South Somerset District Council for the demolition of the existing former Scottish and Southern Electric depot premises in West Hendford and replaced with a new food retail store along with associated parking.

The site is known as Fusion Park and its buildings have fallen into disrepair ever since the electricity company finally vacated the premises in 2007 – four years after Abbey Manor bought the freehold of the site.

Now Jason Mills, of Abbey Manor Capital Partners, is hoping that planners give the go-ahead for the area to be transformed into a discount food retail store.

And he has indicated that it could be the start of giving the Fusion Park site a much-needed facelift: “What is proposed at Fusion Park is a deep discount neighbourhood food store,” he said.

And he has indicated that it could be the start of giving the Fusion Park site a much-needed facelift: “What is proposed at Fusion Park is a deep discount neighbourhood food store,” he said.

Typically, such a store would employ in the region of up to 35 jobs with staff generally living close to the store. Around five of these positions are usually full-time with the rest being part-time. The vacant Fusion Park site currently employs nobody.

Mr Mills added: “Fusion Park is a large site and in these challenging economic conditions it will be redeveloped in a phased process over a number of years”.

The food store has been identified as the first of a multi-phase regeneration of the Fusion Park site. Abbey Manor has indicated that future plans could include housing and employment uses.

Earlier this year Abbey Manor secured full planning consent for a new roundabout access on West Hendford.