A recent fire near a vacant shopping centre will not push up the costs of demolishing and regenerating the town centre.

Firefighters were called out to the Quedam Shopping Centre in Yeovil on August 25 to deal with a blaze at the town’s Dunelm store, which has severely damaged the building.

The store (which remains closed until further notice) stands next to the vacant Glovers Walk shopping centre, which Somerset Council is acquiring and intending to demolish pending any future regeneration of the area.

The council secured funding from the government’s future high streets fund to purchase and demolish the site, as well as delivering a temporary ‘meantime use’ for the public until proposals to redevelop the area (supported by Homes England) had been finalised.

The council has now confirmed that the fire has not impacted on any part of the Glovers Walk structure, and there will not be pushing up the cost of the demolition work.

The future high streets fund grant was originally awarded to South Somerset District Council in December 2020, with the government providing a total of £9,756,897 towards the Yeovil Refresh budget (which eventually exceeded £24m through other grants and borrowing).

Of this grant, £4,784,378 was allocated for public realm improvements (including the ongoing work at The Triangle, where a new amphitheatre is being constructed) and £4,972,519 was set aside for development schemes.

Somerset Council (which replaced the district council in April 2023) recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), which confirmed that £2,728,019 of the development scheme funds would be allocated towards Glovers Walk.

The council had previously indicated that it would spend around £1m on demolishing the shopping centre, which is expected to begin before the end of the year.

Officers have now confirmed that the Dunelm fire has not damaged any part of the Glovers Walk structure, and therefore no additional council funds will need to be committed to the demolition effort.

A spokesman said: “We have been advised that the Dunelm unit falls within the ownership of the Quedam Shopping Centre, not Glovers Walk.”

Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue confirmed on August 27 that the cause of the Dunelm fire was accidental, adding: “The fire was in the roof space, which was 30 per cent damaged by fire.

“All the contents of the building were damaged by smoke and water. Adjacent buildings were checked and no smoke or fire damage was detected.”