Work to improve the facilities and energy efficiency at three leisure centres in Yeovil and Wincanton will begin this spring. Plans have been submitted for a new drive-thru hot food outlet in Chard. It’s thought more families will be holidaying in the UK this year, as pressure mounts on household budgets. People are being advised to check their polling cards for the local elections as the location of some polling stations has changed and Cheddar Caves re-open today.
Work to improve the facilities and energy efficiency at three leisure centres in Yeovil and Wincanton will begin this spring. South Somerset District Council has earmarked six million pounds for new equipment at Goldenstones and the Westlands Fitness Centre in Yeovil, together with fresh exercise spaces and new equipment at Wincanton Sports Centre.
Plans have been submitted for a new drive-thru hot food outlet in Chard. The unit would be built off Tapstone Road, near the Lidl and Tesco stores. South Somerset District Council is expected to make a decision on the application before the summer.
It’s thought more families will be holidaying in the UK this year, as pressure mounts on household budgets. According to tourism managers, Somerset’s B&B’s, hotels, and attractions could be amongst those to benefit with families booking local stays in preference to holidaying abroad. Meanwhile, the Somerset Community Credit Union is encouraging people to speak to them about managing their household bills.
People are being advised to check their polling cards for the local elections as the location of some polling stations has changed. If you haven’t been sent a polling card you should make sure that your name is on the electoral register, if not, then you need to register before the deadline of April 14th. If you’re planning to vote by post, you need to apply for a postal ballot by the deadline of April 19th. Further details about how to vote in the local elections on May 5th can be found on the South Somerset District Council website.
Cheddar Caves re-open today, almost two years to the day after the attraction was forced to close due to Covid restrictions.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.