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.

More from News

Friday 17th May

A new website has been launched to support people in Somerset with mental health issues. One of Yeovil’s oldest pubs has been sold. Artwork on the theme of aviation produced by students at Yeovil College has gone on display at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil.A pupil at Tatworth Primary School near Chard has won a prize in a national competition for writing a book review...and more
Thursday 16th May

Work laying a gas main on the A37 Dorchester Road near the Quicksilver Mail roundabout in Yeovil is to continue for a further two months. Somerset Council says the public toilets in Yeovil bus station will close at the end of the month but the waiting room will stay open temporarily. Former Yeovil Town Captain, Josh Staunton, has set up in business as a professional gardener...and more.
Wednesday 15th May

Somerset Council seeking to save £40 million by cutting one thousand jobs says 201 employees have so far applied to leave the authority based on voluntary redundancy. East Somerset Railway near Shepton Mallet has been used for filming the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel Rivals. An old-style red phone box in Castle Cary is being turned into Somerset's smallest museum...and more
Tuesday 14th May

Somerset's Chief Medical Officer says GP surgeries using healthcare professionals alongside doctors to provide treatments has freed up GP appointments. A farmer has been fined £15,000 for polluting a household water supply. Avon and Somerset’s new Police and Crime Commissioner has officially started work in the role. Chard Post Office is closed today for the handover of the business to new owners...and more.
Monday 13th May

Health inspectors have criticised Somerset's maternity services, including those at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council says re-opening Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in its original form could cost up to £200,000 if a multi-million-pound upgrade of the building falls through. A film made by a Yeovil man on a budget of just five thousand pounds was screened at the prestigious British Independent Film Festival...and more.
Friday 10th May

The Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard says it needs an immediate injection of £100,000 to keep going. Yeovil’s Marlie Packer has returned to Yeovil Rugby Club where she began her rugby career 20 years ago. Twenty-five Town criers from across the South will be in Ilminster tomorrow competing in the annual Ilminster Town Criers' Competition...and more.
Thursday 9th May

Train services through Somerset are again being disrupted today due to continued strike action by the train driver’s union ALSEF. A campaign has been launched in Somerset aimed at stopping people overdosing on opioids. A Somerset business is raising a smile with its name.‘Top Of The Clops’, a tack shop near Taunton has won a place in the top ten of the UK’s funniest business names...and more.
Wednesday 8th May

A woman driver has been told she faces a prison term for causing the deaths of two people in a crash on the A303. The AA says there are more potholes than ever on Somerset’s motorway network, leading to an increase in damage to vehicles. The new cancer treatment unit at Yeovil Hospital should be open before the end of the year...and more.