Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Vice Chair of the Civic Players amateur dramatics group in Yeovil, Rich Walters, says the closure is having an enormous impact on the town, denying groups like the Civic Players the chance to perform at a professional theatre. Somerset Council says they’re committed to re-opening the Octagon, with improvements costing £15 million expected to be completed by 2027.
The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Lib Dem candidate Tricia O’Brien held off independent candidate Gary Molloy, securing 178 votes to his 177 in the poll for the Crimchard ward. Green Party candidate Lynsey Arscott came third with 106 votes.
A Somerset cider-maker says they're feeling confident as they grow the business. Harry's Cider in Long Sutton has opened a new shop and taproom and hopes the venture will increase sales by 25 per cent over the next three years.
A bronze medal-winning Olympian from Somerset says funding for athletes must improve, or they will lose future talent. Rower Becky Wilde says the low levels of financial support mean for some, it's often a struggle to stay in the sport. Last year, a survey by the British Elite Athletes Association suggested two-thirds of athletes would quit their careers if funding did not improve.
A Chard man has appeared in court charged with drink driving. John Nichols of Frog Lane in Combe St Nicholas pleaded guilty to the offence at Yeovil Magistrates Court. He was given a 19-month driving ban and fined £184 with £85 costs.
Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset. Ilminster Carnival takes place on Saturday, October 4th. Castle Cary Carnival and Chard Carnival take place on Saturday, October 11th. Bridgwater Carnival is being held on Saturday, November 1st.
Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more
A woman from Ilminster has been jointly charged with another woman after a man’s body was found inside a car in Cornwall. Somerset businesses, involved in the supply chain for Leonardo, have welcomed the news that the Leonardo factory in Yeovil is to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-two homes in Milborne Port... and more
The Leonardo factory in Yeovil has won a multi-million pound contract to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. A doctor, who previously worked at Yeovil Hospital, has appeared in court charged with illegally accessing NHS computers. A new Construction Innovation Centre has opened at Yeovil College... and more