Friday 13th February

Friday, 13 February 2026 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council has dropped plans to close two town centre car parks in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was attacked in her home. The Environment Agency has committed to reviewing its water management of the Somerset Levels following the recent floods... and more

Somerset Council has dropped plans to close two town centre car parks in Yeovil. Both the Court Ash and North Lane car parks had been identified for new housing in a masterplan for Yeovil town centre. At a meeting of Somerset Council’s planning and transport committee, it was agreed to remove the car parks from the masterplan as ‘opportunity sites’. The Stars Lane, Box Factory and South Street car parks, however, remain in the plan for potential development. 5,000 people had signed a petition opposing the shutdown of the Court Ash and North Lane car parks.

A Yeovil man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was attacked in her home. Appearing before local magistrates, Colin Thorne, aged 32, was charged with the attempted murder of a woman at an address in the West Hendford. Mr Thorne was remanded in custody and is due to appear at Taunton Crown Court on Monday, March 9.

The Environment Agency has committed to reviewing its water management of the Somerset Levels following the recent floods. The EA says it’s working with the Drainage Board and Somerset Council to develop a new management plan. The Environment Agency has been criticised for not acting quickly enough during the current flooding emergency to install pumps on the Levels.

A new funding scheme has been launched to maintain traffic-free walking and cycling routes on the National Cycle Network in Somerset. The Love Your Network grant is being offered by the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust. The National Cycle Network is a 12,000-mile network of signed paths and routes for walking and cycling.

And, if you’re looking for a romantic night out to mark Valentines Day, a charity Valentines Ball is being held at Yeovil Rugby Club, organised by the Jones Building Group. The event, with a two-course meal and live entertainment will raise money for the Jones Building Group’s chosen charity, Children’s Hospice South West.

More from News

Thursday 2nd April

The joint master of a hunt in Somerset has criticised the decision to hold a public consultation on banning trail hunting. Images of two men police want to speak to in connection with an arson attack on a barber’s shop in Wincanton have been released. The company that runs four leisure centres in the Mendip area has gone into administration... and more
Wednesday 1st April

No money has been committed to major new road projects in Somerset. A road linking Chard and Clayhanger has been closed after it collapsed due to badgers burrowing under the surface. The Bishop of Bath and Wells is on day-2 of his pilgrimage across Somerset to mark the holy week of Easter... and more
Tuesday 31st March

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to install solar panels on the roof of the Octagon Theatre. Three men have been charged in connection with an investigation into a hunt in Somerset. Changes have been announced to the times of waste collections in Somerset over the Easter holidays... and more
Monday 30th March

Avon and Somerset Police say its armed officers attended 2,700 incidents in Somerset last year. Plans have been submitted to build 40 new homes in Curry Rivel. South Western Ambulance is offering free CPR and defibrillator training to help improve cardiac arrest survival rates...and more
Friday 27 March

There's been a big improvement in ambulance response times in Somerset. Three local people have been charged with offences linked to the theft and supply of prescription-only drugs. A fragment of a jawbone found in a cave in Cheddar Gorge appears to show that humans kept dogs as pets as far back as 5,000 years ago... and more
Thursday 26th March

Somerset Council is offering food vouchers during the school easter holidays to families whose children receive free school meals. A local man has been charged in connection with an incident involving a firearm in Yeovil. The Environment Agency says it could take up to 10 years to protect homes at Holway House Park and Home Farm Park in Ilminster from flooding...and more.
Wednesday 25th March

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has raised concerns in the House of Commons about the planned closure of Yeovil Hospital’s hyper-acute stroke unit. Police in Yeovil are appealing for information after a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm. A 13-year-old terrier named Mole has been rescued after becoming trapped underground...and more
Tuesday 24th March

Yeovil College has received a glowing report following an Ofsted inspection. The main road between Chard and Ilminster is to be better protected from flooding. A six-thousand-year-old wooden walkway has been uncovered on the Somerset Levels... and more