The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting jobs. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to help buy a second helicopter... and more.
The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting council jobs. Speaking at an audit committee meeting, Mr Sharkey said senior managers “got it wrong” when they axed more than 500 jobs across three departments in the past 12 months. He said money from reserves was now being used to rebuild the housing team, which was “no longer big enough to deal with the current workload”.
Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke is asking the government to provide clarity over the type of animal licence that visitor attractions, like the Somerset Reindeer Ranch, should have. Ms Dyke is shortly to present a parliamentary bill on the issue after the Somerset Reindeer Ranch at Chilthorne Domer was told it would need to obtain a zoo licence, which would cost many thousands of pounds, to remain open.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to raise funds for a second helicopter. The Second Heli Appeal aims to raise £1 million toward the £10 million required to purchase and equip the new aircraft.
Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme to inspire young people to take up careers in agriculture. With fewer than 5% of working farmers aged under 35, Mr Dance is concerned that Somerset could lose the next generation of farmers if careers in farming are not made more accessible. He says the ‘Farm First’ scheme would give young people a clear route into agriculture, with the training and confidence to build a future in the sector.
It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more
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