Motorists in Somerset are being urged to have their eyes tested following a report claiming a quarter of people who should wear glasses behind the wheel are not doing so. The Head of Yeovil-based Screwfix wants to see more young people become electricians, plumbers and builders. Natural England has announced the launch of a new super National Nature Reserve across the Mendip Hills...and more.
Motorists in Somerset are being urged to have their eyes tested. It follows a report by the College of Optometrists that claims a quarter of people who should wear glasses behind the wheel are not doing so and are putting themselves, other road users, and pedestrians at risk.
The Head of Yeovil-based Screwfix claims a lack of tradespeople is holding back the economy. He says twelve billion pounds a year is being lost to the UK economy due to a shortage of tradespeople. CEO of Screwfix, John Mervett wants more encouragement given to younger people to learn a trade.
Natural England has announced the launch of a new super National Nature Reserve across the Mendip Hills in Somerset. It’s part of an initiative by King Charles to enhance biodiversity and nature recovery.
Latest figures from Ofcom show that 23,000 premises in Somerset and Devon are still not receiving a satisfactory mobile phone signal. The premises are in places known as ‘4G not-spots’. The government is currently providing £430,000 in funding through the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership to improve mobile reception across the two counties.
Somerset-based jockey Bryony Frost says she's hoping for more big titles as she heads into the new jump race season. Frost - who trains at Ditcheat with Paul Nicholls - became the first female jockey to win the King George Chase back in 2020.
The Eastbury Hotel in Sherborne has won a top award. In the Condé Nast Johansens awards The Eastbury came first in the Best Value Experience category.
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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