Friday 17th October

Friday, 17 October 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A new £7 million primary school and nursery is to be built in the grounds of Holyrood Academy in Chard. A public consultation has opened into plans to merge the parishes of Ansford and Castle Cary. The nomination papers that paved the way for Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's first female Prime Minister have been uncovered in a Somerset garage...and more

Holyrood Academy in Chard is to get a new seven-million-pound primary school and nursery built in its grounds as part of a major new housing development. Somerset Council says the new school could be open by 2028.

A public consultation has opened into plans to merge the parishes of Ansford and Castle Cary. Residents are being asked to comment on dissolving the two parishes and creating one parish to cover both areas. The consultation, available on the Somerset Council website, runs until December 8th.

The nomination papers that paved the way for Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's first female Prime Minister have been uncovered in a Somerset garage. The documents were among a collection of historic items discovered in a cardboard box belonging to the late Sir Edward du Cann, a former Taunton MP. It’s estimated that the papers, which are being sold at auction in January, could fetch up to £100,000.

Brympton Golden Oldies, a twice-monthly coffee morning held in Brympton for residents, has been presented with a Somerset Unsung Community Hero Award. The award, given by Somerset Council, is in recognition of the tireless efforts of organisers Bob and Sandra Brooks, Cheryl Collins, and Liz James, to make every coffee morning memorable with quizzes, bingo, and social interaction.

The Yeovil Literary Festival begins today and will run for the next 10 days, featuring presentations from over 60 authors and celebrities, including Michael Palin, Alison Steadman and Mary Berry.

More from News

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