Local News Friday 4th June

Friday, 4 June 2021 06:00

Strawberries grown in Somerset this year are set to be bigger and juicier thanks to unseasonal weather in May. Drivers travelling between the A303 Ilminster bypass and the M5 may have to wait until 2028 for the journey to take less time. The Environment Agency says there’s ‘no quick fix’ to the problem of water pollution in protected habitats on Somerset's Levels. People in South Somerset have until 5 pm today to vote on the planned changes to local government in the County...and more.

Strawberries grown in Somerset this year are set to be bigger and juicier thanks to unseasonal weather in May. Fruit farmers in the County claim the local strawberry crop this summer will be one of the tastiest on record

Drivers travelling between the A303 Ilminster bypass and the M5 may have to wait until 2028 for the journey to take less time. Highways England plan to dual the A358 between the Southfields roundabout near Ilminster and Junction 25 on the M5 at Taunton to make it easier to get between the two places but before work can start, the public has to be consulted on the plans and detailed design work carried out which could take several more years to complete.

The Environment Agency says there’s ‘no quick fix’ to the problem of water pollution in protected habitats on Somerset's Levels. Natural England has downgraded the water quality status of some sites on the Levels and called for urgent action to reduce pollutants, called phosphates, which harm wildlife.

People in South Somerset have until 5 pm today (04-06) to vote on the planned changes to local government in the County. The government is considering replacing Somerset’s five existing councils with one or two councils. The one council option is supported by the County Council. The two council option, with one based on the eastern side of Somerset, the other on the western side and this proposal is supported by Somerset’s four District Councils. The result of the poll is due to be announced on Monday.

A new subscription service for using e-scooters in Yeovil has been launched. Z-wings, who run the e-scooters in the town, has introduced a Z-wings Ride Pass for riders to buy passes based on how much they use e-scooters. Four pass options are available ranging in price from £50 to just £5.

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Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more