Local News Friday 3rd September

Friday, 3 September 2021 06:00

A family from Stoford is searching for a man who they say saved their son from drowning after he fell into the River Stour at Sturminster Newton. A consultation has opened on plans to relocate the bus stop in the Borough, Yeovil. Views are being sought on which major roads in Somerset should be upgraded. Work on building 70 new homes in Templecombe will start next month...and more.

A family from Stoford near Yeovil are searching for a man who they say saved their son from drowning after he fell into the River Stour at Sturminster Newton. Jackson Gardiner, aged 9, was swept away by strong undercurrents and was struggling to breathe in the incident on Wednesday, August 25th. His parents say if it hadn’t been for the man diving into the water to rescue Jackson he would most likely have not survived. They believe the man may have military connections and are asking him to come forward so they can thank him properly for his brave actions.

A consultation has opened on plans to relocate the bus stop in the Borough next to the War Memorial in Yeovil town centre to South Street, next to the Library. South Somerset District Council wants to make the change to reduce the dominance of traffic on the High Street as part of the Yeovil Refresh which aims to regenerate the town centre. Meanwhile, Westminster Street will be the first area of the town centre to be improved as part of Yeovil Refresh when work starts to partially pedestrianise the road, the week commencing September 20th.

Views are being sought on which major roads in Somerset should be upgraded. National Highways, formerly known as Highways England, has begun work on dualling the A303 between Sparkford and Podimore, with further public consultation planned this autumn on the proposed dualling of the A358 between Taunton and Ilminster. The agency is now asking people to say what other roads in Somerset they would like to see upgraded, ahead of the publication of the government's next road investment strategy.

Work on building 70 new homes in Templecombe will start next month. The development at Slades Hill will consist of three, four and five-bedroom homes with 35 per cent being affordable housing. A public open space will be created, together with land set aside for the expansion of a nearby primary school.

Details have been announced of this year’s Somerset Business Awards. The event, organised by the Somerset Chamber of Commerce, recognises the best of businesses across all sectors in Somerset. A new award called ‘Rebuild and Thrive’ has been introduced this year to recognize businesses that responded to adversity, whether that was Brexit, Covid-19, or something else.

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Monday 16th June

The new owner of Yeovil Town says he’s in talks with Somerset Council about buying back Huish Park. Water levels at some of Somerset’s reservoirs are below what they should be for this time of year. A Chard woman has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours... and more.
Friday 13th June

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Chard, which left one person with life-threatening injuries. Texas Rocks in Middle Street, Yeovil, has closed temporarily following a significant fire. A Yeovil dental hygienist has been named as a finalist in the Ms Great Britain competition...and more.
Thursday 12th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised the Chancellor’s Spending Review for not delivering real change for Yeovil and South Somerset. The CEO of Leonardo UK states that they’re working towards closing the gender pay gap within the company. Yeovil Town is relocating its first-team training camp to Bristol... and more.
Wednesday 11th June

People in Somerset are being asked for their views on the state of the county’s roads and footpaths. A trial is being conducted at Yeovil Hospital to investigate whether administering shorter courses of antibiotics to patients can effectively treat sepsis. Somerset Council says it has no plans to reopen a block of public toilets in Chard...and more.
Tuesday 10th June

A mother from Chard says schools need to do more to identify students with dyslexia. A fire in a van that caught alight at Stoke-sub-Hamdon is being treated as accidental. A former Yeovil-based police officer, who made it appear he was working when he wasn’t, has been barred from policing...and more
Monday 9th June

Somerset Council is giving £1.5m to Hill View Special School at Ash near Martock to prevent it from closing. Two men have been convicted of killing a Yeovil man they mistakenly believed to be a convicted paedophile. People across Somerset are being asked to make a note of any wildlife they see...and more
Friday 6th June

Community Speedwatch volunteers in Keinton Mandeville have stopped monitoring the local traffic because of online and verbal abuse. Redstart Primary School in Chard has been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted. A care home resident in Glastonbury has raised more than one thousand pounds for Children's Hospice Southwest by knitting soft toys...and more.
Thursday 5th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he’s been told the temporary closure of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital will not be made permanent. Firefighters have dealt with a fire on a coach carrying passengers at Vagg Hill in Yeovil. The authorities in Chile are holding a man who lives in Milborne Port after being found with class-A drugs in a suitcase...and more.