Local news Friday 21st January

Friday, 21 January 2022 06:00

Carnival clubs in South Somerset are celebrating. Work has started on demolishing the former GKN factory on the Leonardo Helicopter site. A public meeting to discuss the problems of flooding in Chard has been moved to a new date. Motorists are being warned of delays due to road works on a key route in Yeovil and a parish council in the Yeovil area is planning to scale back the prizes it gives in its annual Christmas Lights competition.

Carnival clubs in South Somerset are celebrating, after winning a planning battle to build a large shed to use for building carnival floats on the Dillington Estate, near Ilminster. The plans were opposed by several parish councils, who claimed that road access to the site where the shed will be built was inadequate to cope with wide Carnival floats. Despite the concerns, the plans were approved by a majority of one vote at a meeting of South Somerset District Council’s Area West Committee.

Work has started on demolishing the former GKN factory on the Leonardo Helicopter site in Yeovil at West Hendford. It’s to make way for a new £30 million logistics and distribution centre. Leonardo says all its Yeovil-based warehousing will transfer to the new facility when work on building it is completed in late 2023.

A public meeting to discuss the problems of flooding in Chard has been moved to a new date. The event was meant to take place in the Chard Guildhall next Monday but will now be held on Monday, February 28th, again at the Guildhall.

Motorists are being warned of delays due to road works on a key route in Yeovil that will last up to a month. Work is due to start on Monday resurfacing Combe Street Lane with the job not expected to be completed until Friday, February 25th. Somerset County Council says access for residents will be maintained but that delays can be expected with through traffic.

A parish council in the Yeovil area is planning to scale back the prizes it gives in its annual Christmas Lights competition, to discourage local residents from decorating the outsides of their houses with illuminated Christmas lighting. Members of Brympton Parish Council meet next week to discuss the move, which the Council says is aimed at reducing carbon emissions within the parish.

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Thursday 29th January

Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more
Wednesday 28th January

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced plans to develop a new operational base on the Leonardo airfield in Yeovil. Several people have been rescued from their homes in Ilminster due to flooding. An £800,000 project is underway to restore two staircases at Montecute House...and more
Tuesday 27th January

Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more
Monday 26th January

A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more
Friday 23rd January

New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.
Thursday 22nd January

A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more
Wednesday 21st January

Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more
Tuesday 20th January

Citizens Advice says thousands of people in Somerset have lost some or all of their council tax discount. The UK's first autonomous full-size helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo in Yeovil, has successfully completed its maiden flight. A new pharmacy has opened in Wincanton...and more