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

Friday 27th February

The CEO of Leonardo has suggested the UK government could make an announcement immindently about ordering new medium lift helicopters to be built in Yeovil. A family run hardware business in Yeovil has gone into administration. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset has been named the new patron of Somerset Chamber of Commerce... and more
Thursday 26th February

Workers at Leonardo in Yeovil have been to Downing Street to hand-in a petition calling on the government to back British jobs. The decision to grant planning permission to upgrade Yeovil's Octagon Theatre has been enthusiastically welcomed by staff who work there. The search is on to find a defibrillator that has gone missing in Chard... and more
Wednesday 25th February

Plans have been passed to carry out a £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. A new medical unit providing NHS and private treatments has opened in Shepton Mallet. Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard is celebrating after receiving a Gold Artsmark for excellence in arts and cultural education...and more
Tuesday 24th February

First Bus has announced changes to bus timetables on routes across Somerset. A Somerset drone company is celebrating getting through the audition round of ITV’s Britain's Got Talent. A public footpath in South Somerset is set to remain closed for up to two years... and more
Monday 23rd February

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is warning of a scaling back of jobs at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Work is underway on the multi-million-pound refurbishment of Yeovil police station. The A361 across the Somerset Levels has reopened... and more
Friday 20th February

10,000 incidents of potholes on Somerset’s roads have been reported to Somerset Council in the past four weeks. The Met Office is warning of more unsettled weather into March for Somerset. The Crowshute link in Chard will close for eight nights next month for road repairs... and more
Thursday 19th February

Yeovil fire station is to undergo a major refurbishment. A Yeovil based charity is appealing for adults to become mentors to young people. A Somerset woman has completed a 10,000 kilometre solo bike ride across Africa... and more
Wednesday 18th February

New figures have shown a rise in cases of suicide involving farmers, including in Somerset. Plans to merge the parishes of Castle Cary and Ansford have been scrapped. A Somerset-based charity working to end homelessness is marking its 50th anniversary... and more