YEOVIL NEWS: End of the road for long running newsagents?

ONE of Yeovil’s most well-known town centre newsagents looks set to close to make way for an insurance firm.

The Premier newsagent and convenience store in Princes Street, Yeovil, is to be transformed into offices for the Swinton Insurance company.

Swinton’s property manager Rosalyn Smith has said in a council report that the firm wants to expand in Yeovil.

“We currently occupy premises in Waterloo Lane, Yeovil, where we’ve traded for many years,” said Miss Smith.

“There is insufficient room in the current office to meet requirements and therefore Swinton proposed to take a lease of the ground floor shop premises at 27 Princes Street in Yeovil.

“Swinton will retain the current office in Yeovil and relocate its personal lines business to the Princes Street shop.”

The premises have been run as a newsagents for many years and the property was sold by Yeovil Keystores two years ago before it became a Premier convenience store.

It will be the end of an era for many people in Yeovil who have used it for years to buy their newspapers, cigarettes, children's sweets and chocolate, the National Lottery and general goods.

Miss Smith has applied for planning permission for the change of use from shop to financial and professional services, along with the go-ahead to carry out internal alterations to include the display of a window banner.

Members of Yeovil Town Council’s planning and licensing committee will discuss the applications on Tuesday (August 26, 2014), although final decisions will be made by South Somerset District Council.

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