Friday 8th March

Friday, 8 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Federation of Small Businesses in Somerset has welcomed the government's decision to raise the threshold for VAT registration. Taunton MP, Rebecca Pow, says plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton are still active despite speculation the scheme has been dropped. Two hundred years of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute is being marked with a special service of thanksgiving in Sherborne Abbey...and more.

A Somerset business leader has welcomed the government's decision to raise the threshold for VAT registration for small businesses. In this week’s budget, the Chancellor announced that firms will only have to register for VAT once their turnover reaches ninety thousand pounds, which is up from the previous limit of eighty-five thousand from April. Ruth Lambert of the Federation of Small Businesses says the increase will benefit many of her members but would have liked more help for small businesses from the Chancellor.

NHS Somerset says a new self-referral service to check signs of womb cancer in women has seen the average wait for an appointment drop from sixty-three to just four days. More than one hundred and fifty patients have made a self-referral since the service was launched last September with Somerset the first county in England to roll it out.

Taunton MP, Rebecca Pow, says plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton are still active. Her comments follow speculation the project has been shelved as part of government spending cuts. The Junior Environment Minister says she has no knowledge of this being the case and that next week is due to meet with the Department of Transport for an update on the scheme.

Nominations close at midnight tonight for this year’s Pride of Somerset Youth Awards. Now in its seventeenth year, the scheme rewards young people under 21 years of age for their acts of bravery, for caring for others or for being outstanding in sport, music, and the arts.

Two hundred years of the RNLI will be marked at a special service of thanksgiving in Sherborne Abbey on Sunday. Chairman of the RNLI Sherborne branch, Chris Copeland, says the service is to give everyone a chance to say a big thank you to the RNLI and remember those volunteers who lost their lives saving others.

More from News

Tuesday 15th September

Police investigating an attack on a shop worker in Yeovil have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to speak to. Farmers in Somerset are being warned to expect more cases of bluetongue. Ilminster Carnival Committee has announced the cancellation of this year's Children's Carnival due to a lack of entries... and more
Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
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