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.

More from News

Wednesday 17th June

Avon and Somerset Police say they'll be carrying out enhanced patrols for drink and drug driving during and after England's opening World Cup game tonight. Somerset Chamber of Commerce is warning that the conflict in Iran is having a serious impact on local businesses. A master thatcher based in Ilminster says the traditional craft of thatching is under threat because of a lack of training opportunities...and more
Tuesday 16th June

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal two-vehicle crash on the A358 near Ilminster. A man from Norton-sub-Hamdon has appeared in court charged with drink driving. An original Mr Blobby costume from the former Blobbyland theme park at Cricket St Thomas has been put up for sale... and more
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.