Local News Friday 30th June

Friday, 30 June 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Avon and Somerset Police have spent one-point-three-million-pounds on the planned changes to Yeovil Police station even before a new brick has been laid. Plans to build ninety-seven new homes in South Chard have been turned down. After a series of delays and a contractor going bust, work to improve Westminster Street in Yeovil town centre has now finished...and more.

Avon and Somerset Police have spent one-point-three-million- pounds on the planned changes to Yeovil Police station even before a new brick has been laid. Figures show the bulk of the money, eight-hundred-and-ninety-six thousand pounds, has been spent on consultants, architects and other professional fees. A further three-hundred-and-thirty-three thousand pounds has been spent renting temporary accommodation for the police to operate from while Yeovil Police Station remains closed.

Changes have been finalised to Somerset’s parliamentary boundaries. The area covered by Somerset County Council is divided into five constituencies and then there's North East Somerset which takes in Radstock and Midsomer Norton. The current six constituencies will become eight, to try and even out the number of voters in each area.

Plans to build ninety-seven new homes in South Chard have been rejected by councillors. The proposal to develop land in Perry Street was turned down because of concerns about road safety and over-development.

Avon and Somerset Police are to put more resources into policing the countryside. It comes as the National Farmers Union reports that higher inflation has led to an increase in rural thefts with the value of stolen farm equipment doubling in the last year.

West Country-based wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker says she's 'as hungry as ever for success' as she prepares for her thirteenth Wimbledon appearance. The paralympic silver medallist has been given a wildcard at this year’s championships and will compete in both the singles and doubles events.

After a series of delays and a contractor going bust, work to improve Westminster Street in Yeovil has now finished. Somerset Council says the installation of wider natural stone paving and street planters has refreshed the look and feel of Westminster Street in the town centre.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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