Local News Friday 22nd April

Friday, 22 April 2022 06:00

Work has resumed on up-dating Yeovil town centre. The latest figures show that five people in South Somerset who had Covid-19 died between last Thursday, April 14, and Wednesday, April 20. The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has apologised for the waiting times endured by some of its patients. A computer glitch is being blamed for the poorest families in Somerset missing out on cash to buy fresh fruit and veg and ‘Beat The Street’ is coming back to Yeovil on the 4th of May.

Work has resumed on up-dating Yeovil town centre but South Somerset District Council says it can’t give a date for when the whole of the Yeovil Refresh scheme will be completed. Work on the first part of the project in Westminster Street suffered a setback when Midas Construction went into administration in February. The Council says that the contract has been re-let and work on the south side of Westminster Street, from outside the NatWest bank to Clarence Street, should be completed by the end of May. A date for work to start at The Triangle in Lower Middle Street, where a new amphitheatre and fountain will be built, has yet to be confirmed. The Council says contracts to up-grade upper Middle Street should be signed next month, with work beginning later in the year.

The latest figures show that five people in South Somerset who had Covid-19 died between last Thursday, April 14, and Wednesday, April 20. Over the same period, 594 people in the district confirmed they had tested positive for the coronavirus. The number of people in South Somerset given a first dose of the Covid vaccination by Monday, April 18th was 141,833, 136,093 had received a second dose and 114,471 a booster or third dose.

The Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has apologised for the waiting times endured by some of its patients. It follows the publication of data showing the longest period an NHS patient in Somerset had to wait to be seen to start treatment after being referred was 152 weeks. The figures also showed no patients waited for more than three years (156 weeks) or for more than four years (208 weeks) at the trust.

A computer glitch is being blamed for the poorest families in Somerset missing out on cash to buy fresh fruit and veg. The food poverty campaign group, Sustain, says that since the NHS Healthy Start voucher system was digitised in October last year, many eligible families applying for vouchers have been rejected. The Department of Health says the software issue is now working.

‘Beat The Street’ is coming back to Yeovil on the 4th of May. The game involves walking, cycling or rolling between ‘Beat Boxes’ across the town centre to earn as many points as possible for you and your team.

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.