Local News Friday 9th July

Friday, 9 July 2021 06:00

The start date to begin work regenerating Yeovil town centre has been pushed back for the fourth time. South Somerset has moved towards a greener future following a drop in carbon dioxide emissions. Grants of up to two-and-a-half thousand pounds are being made available to smaller charities and community groups in South Somerset. A pub near Ilminster has opened for the first time in over 12-months. The George at Donyatt closed in March last year due to the pandemic...and more.

The start date to begin work regenerating Yeovil town centre has been pushed back for the fourth time. The Yeovil Refresh project will see public spaces revitilised and the Borough pedestrianized. South Somerset District Council had intended work starting last summer. Then said it would be early 2021 and revised that date to June. Now, they say it will be August at the earliest before the project gets off the ground

South Somerset has moved towards a greener future following a drop in carbon dioxide emissions. New figures from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show CO2 emissions in the Yeovil area fell by 3.1 percent in 2019 compared to the year before. Between 2009 and 2019 overall CO2 emissions in South Somerset lowered by 24.2 percent.

Grants of up to two-and-a-half thousand pounds are being made available to smaller charities and community groups in South Somerset. The money from the Somerset Community Foundation is to help organisations with the costs of re-opening now Covid restrictions are being eased.

A pub near Ilminster has opened for the first time in over 12-months. The George at Donyatt closed in March last year due to the pandemic. Owners, Helen Calvert and Steven Faulkner have used the time to spring clean and redecorate the building.

Lady members of Chard Inner Wheel have held a party to mark the group’s 70th anniversary. Since it was formed in 1950, members of Chard Inner Wheel in Chard have raised money for dozens of local good causes including Chard Carnival and St Margaret’s Hospice.

The Fearne Animal Sanctuary near Chard has launched an appeal for funds to upgrade a duck pond. Money raised will be used to buy a new water treatment system and build a structure to keep ducks and wild birds separate during the influenza season.

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Friday 12th June

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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