Friday 23rd May

Friday, 23 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Ten extra maternity beds have been made available at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital following the closure of Yeovil's maternity unit. Some Glastonbury festival goers say they've been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a glamping business was liquidated. Chard Fire Station is asking businesses to offer their buildings for fire training. The Cotley Inn, in Wambrook, has been placed on a top 10 list of the best pubs in Britain...and more.

Ten extra maternity beds have been made available at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital following the closure of Yeovil's maternity unit. The baby ward at Yeovil Hospital closed earlier this week following safety concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, says some staff have been retained to carry out antenatal appointments.

Children’s Services in Somerset is trialling artificial intelligence to speed up the time it takes to process individual cases. Parents are being consulted about the idea, which is also being tried by other councils to improve targets.

Some Glastonbury festival goers say they've been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a glamping business was liquidated. Yurtel, based in Corsham near Bath, charged between £10,000 and £16,500 for their hospitality tickets and accommodation. Customers have been told their bookings won't be fulfilled after the company ceased trading earlier this month.

Following an inspection, a school near Chard has been described as a "beacon of love and friendship." Inspectors from the Anglican and Methodist Schools Service praised St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School at Chardstock for "living up to its foundation as a Church school" and for its inclusive environment, where those with special education needs and disabilities "thrive."

Chard Fire Station is asking businesses to offer their buildings for fire training. Each week, firefighters are required to practice various scenarios using different buildings in various locations.

The Cotley Inn at Wambrook has been placed in a top 10 list of the best pubs in Britain. The poll was based on the number of Google searches for the Cotley Inn during April.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more