Local News Friday 21st April

Friday, 21 April 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Chard in which a nine-year-old girl was seriously injured. Small businesses in Somerset are calling for an increase in the threshold at which they start paying VAT. A set of temporary traffic lights on the A30 between Chard and Yarcombe that have been in place for two years are finally being taken down...and more

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Chard in which a nine-year-old girl was seriously injured. It happened in Henson Park when the child was in collision with a yellow Vauxhall Corsa at around 6.20 pm on Wednesday. The girl was airlifted to hospital where she remains in a critical but stable condition. If you were a witness or, have dash cam footage that could help the police, you’re asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

Small businesses in Somerset are calling for an increase in the threshold at which they start paying VAT. The Federation of Small Businesses wants to see it raised from its current level of eighty-five thousand to one hundred thousand pounds.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells is preparing for his key role in the King's Coronation. The Right Reverend Michael Beasley will be one of two Bishop Assistants to the King at the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. The Bishop of Bath and Wells and the Bishop of Durham have officiated at every Coronation since the 12th century and will be on duty in Westminster Abbey on May 6th.

A set of temporary traffic lights on the A30 between Chard and Yarcombe that have been in place for two years are finally being taken down. The lights were installed outside Crawley Farm following a landslip with motorists facing long delays ever since. Devon County Council say the landslip has been fixed and the lights will be removed but not until September.

A public speaking competition has been held in Ilminster organised by Ilminster Rotary Club. The event attracted entries from five local schools with children asked to speak on the subject of ‘What I hope King Charles III brings to our country with his reign”.

A pub in South Cadbury is banning mobile phones this Sunday. A new alert system using mobiles is due to be tested nationally using mobiles at 3 pm on Sunday. The Camelot in South Cadbury doesn’t want the sound of the alarm going off unsettling its diners and is asking customers to ditch their mobiles before entering the pub.

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Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more