Local News Friday 7th July

Friday, 7 July 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

People in South Somerset whose homes and businesses were hit with flash floods may not have to pay any council tax for the rest of the year. A Somerset man has been sentenced for his part in digging up a fox and throwing it to a pack of hounds. Ticket offices at all of Somerset's railway stations will close by the end of next year if plans by train companies go ahead...and more.

People in South Somerset whose homes and businesses were hit by flash floods may not have to pay any council tax for the rest of the year. A major incident was declared on May 9th when heavy rain caused flooding in North Cadbury, Queen Camel and surrounding villages. Somerset Council has announced a support scheme for those affected, allowing people to waive their council tax for up to one year. Residents and business owners who vacated their homes and premises for more than three consecutive days will receive one hundred per cent relief on their council tax bills.

Avon and Somerset Police are claiming success following a major clampdown on organised drugs gangs. The force says ‘Operation Scorpio’ resulted in three-hundred-and-twenty-five million pounds worth of cannabis being seized, and twenty people linked to the cultivation of the drug arrested, including in South Somerset.

Ticket offices at all of Somerset's railway stations will close by the end of next year if plans by train companies go ahead. Unions have described the proposals as catastrophic for elderly, disabled and vulnerable passengers. From Great Western Railway, Dan Panes says keeping ticket offices open doesn't make sense when so many people buy their tickets online.

A Somerset man has been sentenced for his part in digging up a fox and throwing it to a pack of hounds. Aaron Fookes of Townsend Green in Henstridge had previously pleaded guilty to fox hunting and causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal. Fookes was fined eight-hundred-and-thirty-three pounds, given an eighteen-month community order and told to complete two hundred hours of unpaid work when he appeared for sentencing before magistrates in Swindon.

The company behind a proposed solar farm near Crewkerne is holding a series of public consultations. Greentech is inviting the views of local residents on plans to build a solar farm on fifty-seven acres of farmland off Chard Lane at Wayford. The plans can be viewed at Clapton and Wayford Village Hall next Wednesday, July 12th, and the following Tuesday and Wednesday, July 18th and 19th.

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Friday 31st October

There's anger in Chard about a road diversion in place alongside two sets of roadworks through the town. A motorcyclist has been injured in an accident in Bruton. £100,000 has been donated towards re-opening Shepton Mallet’s Amulet theatre... and more
Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .