Friday 21st November

Friday, 21 November 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A public inquiry is being held into plans to build a large solar farm in the village of Wayford. Fire crews have put out a small blaze at Tesco in Ilminster. Canadian firm KDC One is closing its Wellington factory, putting dozens of jobs at risk. It's Ilminster's turn to switch on the Christmas lights tonight... and more.

A public inquiry is being held into plans to build a large solar farm in the village of Wayford, between Chard and Crewkerne. Greentech Invest UK Ltd plan to develop the solar farm on 64 acres of farmland off Chard Lane in Wayford. The applicant claims it will provide 19,000 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power 5,000 homes. The public inquiry is scheduled to begin over four days on February 10th.

Fire crews have put out a small blaze at the Tesco store in Shudrick Lane in Ilminster. The cause has been traced to an electrical fan in a plant room, which is thought to have overheated and caught alight. The outbreak, which happened at around 9.30 am on Wednesday, was quickly brought under control by crews from Chard, Martock, Crewkerne and Ilminster. No one was injured.

Police are looking for a man with links to Somerset in connection with a serious assault on a woman in Devon. Tobias King, aged 36, lives in Teignmouth, but police say he could be in Chard or Yeovil. They want to question him in connection with an incident in Honiton on November 8th. King is described as around 6ft tall with short blond hair and a beard. Police say he could be seeking work on building sites.

The government has awarded a £600,00 grant to improve the regulation of so-called micro-providers of care services in Somerset. The Somerset Cares Alliance says the money will be used to develop new systems to safeguard staff and clients.

Canadian firm KDC One is closing its Wellington factory, putting dozens of jobs at risk. In October, the cosmetics firm claimed it wanted to expand in the UK and Europe. But this week, KDC One has confirmed it is closing its Wellington factory and shifting production to Scotland, citing manufacturing-related factors.

It's Ilminster's turn to switch on the Christmas lights tonight. The event starts with market stalls and other attractions in the town centre, starting at 1.30 pm, with the lights switched on at 7 pm.

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Thursday 30th July

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Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more