Friday 21st March

Friday, 21 March 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Leonardo in Yeovil is developing a new type of self-flying helicopter. A report into the creation of Somerset Council has found the case for it to be 'weak' and marked by 'poor decision making'. The village of Montecute has been told that it may have one of the country's oldest working clocks...and more.

Leonardo is developing a new type of self-flying helicopter in Yeovil. The aircraft, believed to be the first of its kind in the world, will be used by the Royal Navy. Managing Director of Leonardo in Yeovil, Nigel Colman, says the future of the Yeovil factory is dependent, to a very large extent, on the success of the self-flying helicopter.

A report into the creation of Somerset Council has found the case for it was 'weak' and marked by 'poor decision making'. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance says the authority was put in a 'perilous financial position' when it started up in 2023. Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, has welcomed the report’s findings saying its recommendations will be acted upon.

Around 100 people in Chard have been left without an internet connection. It follows an incident in which a car collided with a green cabinet on Furnham Road, cutting off the internet in the area. Openreach has apologised and says it’s waiting for the National Grid to reconnect the cabinet to the mains electricity.

The village of Montecute has been told that it may have one of the country's oldest working clocks. Experts, working on restoring the clock at St Catherine’s Church have dated it to the 15th century.

Motorists are being advised that the A361 at Burrowbridge on the Somerset Levels will be shut for ten days next month. This will allow Wessex Water to carry out the second part of a water main replacement project. The A361 will be shut in both directions at Burrowbridge from Monday, April 7th to Thursday, April 17th.

Sir Tim Rice, co-writer with Andrew Lloyd-Webber of famous tunes like ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘Any Dream Will Do’ is coming with his touring music show to Yeovil next month. Sir Tim will be at the Westland Entertainment venue on Tuesday, April 15th, with ‘My life in musicals - I know him so well’ featuring singers and musicians from London’s West End.

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