Friday 26th January

Friday, 26 January 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The campaign to stop the closure of the acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital has ended in failure. People in Yeovil could be paying an extra £130 a year in council tax to Yeovil Town Council from April to fund Local Amenities. South Somerset saw the highest increase in the number of fly-tipping incidents in the South West in the year 2022 to 23...and more.

The battle to stop the closure of the acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital has ended in failure for those who've campaigned to keep it open. At a meeting yesterday, NHS Somerset’s Integrated Care Board members voted to downgrade the Yeovil unit and provide a single emergency stroke unit for the whole County at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

People in Yeovil could be paying an extra £130 a year in council tax to Yeovil Town Council from April to fund the Town Council's take-over of services like public toilets, Yeovil Recreational Centre and the Octagon Theatre that Somerset Council says it can no longer afford to provide. Yeovil Town Council will vote on the increase next Tuesday.

South Somerset saw the highest increase in the number of fly-tipping incidents in the South West in the year 2022 to 23. Incidents increase from 478 in 2021/22 to 801 in 2022/23 an increase of 67.5 percent.

Somerset Wildlife Trust has been awarded £60,000 funding from the Blue Influencers scheme. It’s one of twenty-two charities nationally to secure funding and will receive £20,000 a year for three years. The grant will be used to employ a 'Blue Mentor' tasked with recruiting young people between the ages of 10 and 14, to create and implement social initiatives aimed at environmental betterment in their schools and communities.

The Managing Director of Thatcher's has expressed disappointment at losing a high court case against Aldi. The Somerset cider maker had alleged that the German supermarket had copied its cloudy lemon cider drink but a judge has ruled that Aldi hasn't copied the brand, and posed no reputational risk to Thatchers.

More from News

Thursday 30th April

More than 4,500 people have expressed interest in joining a new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne. Somerset Council says a long-term solution is needed to make Hendford Hill in Yeovil fully safe for motorists. A Somerset man has won first prize at the World Marmalade Awards... and more
Wednesday 29th April

Somerset Council says Hendford Hill in Yeovil should be fully reopened to traffic by the end of May. Plans have been approved to build 40 new homes in Crewkerne. A huge pile of illegally dumped rubbish in Glastonbury has been cleared... and more
Tuesday 28th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal collision at Rimpton. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in South Petherton. Former Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has been retained as first-team manager of Taunton Town for next season... and more
Monday 27th April

A former school in Sherborne has been badly damaged by fire. A care home in Yeovil has been rated outstanding. ublic spaces in West Coker owned by Somerset Council are being handed over to the parish council. Mendip Golf Club has presented a cheque for £12,000 to Mind in Somerset... and more
Friday 24th April

Plans have been submitted to turn a property on Preston Road in Yeovil into a House in Multiple Occupation. Yeovil’s Marlie Packer has been recalled to the England Red Roses starting line-up for tomorrow’s Women’s Six Nations game against Wales. Three sisters from Yeovil will be running the London Marathon this weekend in support of Guide Dogs UK... and more
Thursday 23rd April

Helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton have completed six weeks of sorties, protecting Cyprus from attacks by Iran. People in Somerset who use domestic heating oil are calling on the government to regulate the oil supply industry. Patients are being invited to register at a new NHS dentist in Crewkerne... and more
Wednesday 22nd April

Expectant mothers are using Yeovil Hospital once again to give birth following the reopening of the maternity unit. A Yeovil man has been jailed for four years for committing sexual offences against two young girls. Plans have been approved to convert a pub in Milborne Port into housing... and more
Tuesday 21st April

NHS Somerset has delayed closing the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. A former Avon and Somerset Police officer has been jailed for making indecent images of children. A Somerset man has been fined after pleading guilty to hunting a wild animal with dogs... and more