Friday 6th December

Friday, 6 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is asking the government for permission to raise next year’s Council Tax by more than 5 per cent. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A3088 Cartgate Link Road in which a pedestrian was killed. A trainee at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil has been presented with a Rising Star award...and more.

Somerset Council is asking the government for permission to raise next year’s Council Tax by more than 5 per cent. Currently, Council Tax rises are capped at 5 per cent but Somerset Council says it needs the extra income to avoid bankruptcy.

Police, social services, and the NHS aren't working together properly on knife crime in Somerset, according to a new report. It says tackling youth violence is not being given a high enough priority, which is leaving children at risk of harm and exploitation.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A3088 Cartgate Link Road in which a pedestrian was killed. It happened when a man collided with a Hyundai car last Tuesday night at around 9 pm. If you saw what happened or have dashcam footage please call the non-emergency number 101.

Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched a project aimed at combating a rise in non-native invasive plant species. The Trust says non-native plants, introduced through human activities, outcompete native species, disrupting natural ecosystems, and impacting the survival of native mammals, insects, and other wildlife. The charity is aiming to raise £20,000 to better manage non-native invasive plants on nature reserves through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s largest match-funding initiative.

A trainee at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil has been presented with a Rising Star award at the Make UK’s Regional Manufacturing Awards. The judging panel said Brandon Weeks had impressed his employers with his work ethic and leadership skills. Before moving to Leonardo, Brendon worked as a volunteer sports therapist at Yeovil Town Football Club.

If you would like to travel to the North Pole without leaving Yeovil this Christmas, you can do so by hopping onboard a Santa Special at Yeovil Railway Centre. It’s the 30th year they’ve run Santa Specials with steam rides this Sunday, over the weekend of the 14th & 15th and 22nd & 23rd of December.

More from News

Tuesday 2nd December

A 33-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a serious assault in Wincanton. Fire crews have dealt with a house fire in the village of Pitney. Plans have been submitted to redevelop Bridgwater Docks into a cultural and tourist destination. Ilminster's annual Christmas tree festival has opened in the town...and more
Monday 1st December

New figures show that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area rose by 8% in the year to June. South Western Railway has restarted running hourly services through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne following months of disruption. Persimmon Homes South West has donated £1500 towards the running costs of Castle Cary Rugby Club...and more
Friday 28th November

Somerset Council has failed to stop 150 homes being built in Crewkerne. Posters of a drag act coming to Somerset, displayed in Shepton Mallet, have been vandalised. Avon and Somerset police are using proceeds from drug crime to fund community projects...and more,
Thursday 27th November

A new NHS dentist in Chard will start seeing its first patients next Tuesday. The go-ahead has been given to install five new lighting and CCTV columns on Milfield Road in Chard. Work is to start in January, replacing ageing traffic signals at the A39 junction with Clarks Village in Street...and more
Wednesday 26th November

Workers at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil, belonging to the Unite union, have accepted a new pay offer of 8% over two years. Yeovil Town has appointed a new first-team Manager. A new NHS dental practice is due to open in Chard next month...and more
Tuesday 25th November

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling on the Chancellor to deliver ‘real economic growth’ for Yeovil in her budget tomorrow. The government has given Yeovil College £2 million to upgrade its engineering facilities. A Chard-based charity has sent 7,000 boxes filled with Christmas gifts to Ukraine...and more.
Monday 24th November

A church leader has warned that “irrevocable damage” will be caused to town centres if Somerset Council starts charging for Sunday parking. Fifty new homes are to be built in Castle Cary following a successful planning appeal. A call has been made for a memorial to the victims who died in a plane crash on the Blackdown Hills 80 years ago...and more.
Friday 21st November

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.