Local News Friday 4th March

Friday, 4 March 2022 06:00

Travelodge says it would like to build a new hotel in Yeovil. Bus operators in Somerset are to get a share of 150 million pounds of new government funding. The lifting of the ban on care staff, unvaccinated against Covid from working in care homes, has been welcomed. Rickshaws are being used as a novel form of public transport on the streets of Wells. The shop workers union USDAW has been speaking about the abuse that their members in Somerset have faced in the last twelve months...and more.

Travelodge says it would like to build a new hotel in Yeovil. The hotel chain has included Yeovil on a list of thirty-five places in the South West and Wales where it would like a presence. Travelodge is asking people to contact them if they know of any sites in Yeovil that would be suitable to turn into a hotel

Bus operators in Somerset are to get a share of 150 million pounds of new government funding. It's part of a wider grant scheme by the Department for Transport to help services recover from the effects of the pandemic. The grant scheme is expected to run until October this year.

The lifting of the ban on care staff, unvaccinated against Covid from working in care homes, has been welcomed by the Somerset-based Vice-Chair of the National Care Association, Joyce Pinfield. The government says it’s been possible to lift the ban because there’s now more natural immunity to Covid in the population but Joyce Pinfield says the care sector has paid a high price, with thousands of care workers leaving their jobs because of the ban.

Rickshaws are being used as a novel form of public transport on the streets of Wells. The Wells Community Network says the rickshaws are helping older people and those with mobility problems get around the city more easily.

The shop workers union USDAW has been speaking about the abuse that their members in Somerset have faced in the last twelve months. USDAW claims that 90% of their members experienced verbal abuse and 64% had threats made against them by customers.

Yeovil Town play away against Notts County tomorrow. Meanwhile, Yeovil Manager, Darren Sarll says he needs to bring in at least one new player to help improve his team, with a third of games in the National League this season still to be played.

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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