Friday 7th August

Friday, 7 August 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Chard's biggest employer, Numatic International, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, has announced job cuts. A new Neighbourhood Plan for Hatch Beauchamp has officially been adopted. Two historic artefacts taken from Glastonbury Abbey more than 70 years ago have been returned...and more

Chard's biggest employer, Numatic International, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, has announced plans that could see job losses as part of a company restructure. The firm says it's consulting with staff over proposals affecting around seven per cent of its 1,200-strong workforce. A separate consultation is also underway on changes to the company's pension scheme.

A new Neighbourhood Plan for Hatch Beauchamp has officially been adopted after residents voted in favour at a referendum. The plan, developed since 2021, sets out how much new housing the village will need up to 2040, while identifying important local facilities and green spaces that the community wants to protect. Somerset Council says the plan will now play a key role in future planning decisions.

A Somerset Royal Navy veteran and her daughter are preparing for a fundraising challenge in support of Help for Heroes. Maria Vaughan, from Templecombe, and her daughter Jill will hike 27 kilometres along the Jurassic Coast on the 15th of August to raise money for the charity.

A Yeovil company has secured a contract worth around 20 million pounds to improve fire safety in social housing across the South West. Harmony Fire will upgrade fire safety equipment and install new smart fire doors in properties managed by housing provider LiveWest.

And two historic artefacts taken from an archaeological dig at Glastonbury Abbey more than 70 years ago have been returned. George Box removed the bones from the remains of an abbot, along with a medieval tile, while visiting the site as an 11-year-old schoolboy in 1956. Following his death earlier this year, his widow has returned both items to the Abbey.

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Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more
Thursday 3rd September

Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more