Local News Friday 12th May

Friday, 12 May 2023 11:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil Town Football Club say a deal has been agreed to sell the club. Communities across South Somerset are being told to prepare for more extreme weather events. Motorists are being advised that the westbound carriageway of the A30 at Babylon Hill will be closed to traffic on Wednesday May 24th. Work has been completed installing new play equipment in Upper Henson Park in Chard...and more.

Yeovil Town Football Club say a deal has been agreed to sell the club. In a statement on their website, Chairman, Scott Priestnall, says after a lot of hard work a buyer has been found to purchase the club and a deal has been agreed. The club aren’t saying who the new owner is but say further details will be announced later today. News of the sale of Yeovil Town follows months of uncertainty at Huish Park and fears that the club’s future was at risk.

Communities across South Somerset are being told they need to prepare for flooding and more extreme weather conditions due to climate change. Somerset Council is asking every town and village to draw up emergency plans for dealing with flooding following Tuesday’s major flooding event which damaged homes and businesses in Queen Camel, West Camel, North and South Cadbury, Bruton and Galhampton.

Work has been completed installing new play equipment in Upper Henson Park in Chard. The equipment is aimed primarily for use by children aged 8 to 13 and includes monkey bars and a climbing wall. The Mayor of Chard will officially open the new play area, near to Avishayes Community School, next Thursday, May 18th at 11 am.

Motorists are being advised that the westbound carriageway of the A30 between Yeovil and Sherborne at Babylon Hill will be closed to traffic on the evening of Wednesday May 24th. It’s to allow for Wessex Water to carry out work to a side road leading to the Compton Service Reservoir. The A30 at Babylon Hill westbound will be shut from 8 pm on Wednesday May 24th to 6 am on Thursday May 25th with diversions in operation.

Councillor Gary Shortland has been elected as the new Mayor of Chard. Councillor Shortland takes over from Councillor Jenny Kenton who resigned from the role without completing her 1-year term of office. Councillor Claire Brown was re-elected as the Deputy Mayor of Chard at a special meeting of Chard Town Council held earlier this week.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

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.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.