Friday 17th November

Friday, 17 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is calling on the government to take urgent action to fix the funding crisis in social care. Business activity across the South West stabilised in October, according to a new report from NatWest. The go-ahead has been given to build 35 new homes at Broadway, near Ilminster...and more.

The Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans is calling on the government to take urgent action to fix the funding crisis in social care. He’s written to the Levelling-up Secretary, Michael Gove, saying the current funding formula for local government does not reflect the actual costs involved in providing essential public services, in particular, social care. Earlier this month, Somerset Council, who are facing a funding gap of £100m in the next financial year, declared a financial emergency and plan to make big spending cuts to help balance the books. In his letter to the government, Councillor Revans says the Council’s overspend is not because of poor controls, but the increased costs of delivering essential services.

Age UK says people in Somerset need to be better prepared for the new digital landline rollout. The UK phone network is going digital by 2025 with landline phones working via a broadband connection, instead of analogue.

The Environment Agency says it is working ‘around the clock’ to minimise the flood risk with more rain forecast over the weekend. The EA is working with Somerset Rivers Authority and Somerset Council to manage the situation, with extra pumps brought into use on the Somerset Levels.

Business activity across the South West stabilised in October, according to the latest Business Activity report from NatWest. The Bank says the trend breaks four months of regional decline and contrasts with a dip in economic performance across the UK as a whole. The Business Activity Index, which measures month-on-month change in output for manufacturing and the service sector, reported stability in October at 50.1 per cent, compared to 47.8 per cent in September.

The go-ahead has been given to build 35 new homes at Broadway, near Ilminster. The scheme, on the north-western edge of the village, is less than one mile from the proposed Ding Meadow development, where 28 new homes are planned behind the Bell Inn. The properties are expected to range from two to four bedrooms in size, with 12 being affordable and five as bungalows.

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Friday 12th June

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
Thursday 11th June

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
Wednesday 10th June

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
Tuesday 9th June

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
Monday 8th June

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.
Friday 5th June

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
Thursday 4th June

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
Wednesday 3rd June

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