Local News Monday 11th April

Monday, 11 April 2022 06:00

Ambitious plans have been submitted by Numatic in Chard, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, to build a major new production facility in the town. Ambulances are being diverted out of the area to other hospital sites because of the pressure on the NHS. Tributes have been paid to Councillor Alan Smith who has died aged 74 following a period of illness. Police are warning homeowners about a council tax scam. Parents locally are being warned to look out for Scarlet Fever and Chicken Pox amid a national rise in cases...and more.

Ambitious plans have been submitted by Numatic in Chard, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, to build a major new production facility in the town. The new factory complex, measuring 213 meters in length, and roughly the size of two football pitches, would be built on the former Oscar Mayer site, off Furnham Road. South Somerset District Council is due to make a decision on the application by the late summer.

Ambulances are being diverted out of the area to other hospital sites because of the pressure on the NHS. The situation is being blamed on rising Covid cases, staffing shortages, and bed blocking.

Tributes have been paid to Councillor Alan Smith who has died aged 74 following a period of illness. Alan, who was a councilor in Yeovil for almost 20 years, represented the Brympton ward on South Somerset District Council.

Police are warning homeowners about a council tax scam. As the government pays the £150 energy rebate this month, it’s reported homeowners are getting phone calls asking for their bank details so the money can be paid to their bank accounts, but Police say the calls are a scam. Eligible households in our area should receive £150 from South Somerset District Council this month.

Parents locally are being warned to look out for Scarlet Fever and Chicken Pox amid a national rise in cases. The Health Security Agency in the South West is reminding parents to check children for symptoms of both conditions. Early treatment can reduce the severity of the illnesses and the risk of infecting others.

Members of a biker’s charity in Somerset have been on a tour of the Council raising money for Ukraine. Money raised by The Four Aces Bikers Club will be sent to Poland to buy supplies for Ukrainian refugees.

A school in Chard has launched a campaign to have a 20 mph speed limit introduced outside the school gates. Children at Manor Court Primary School have started a petition to have the speed limit cut from 30 to 20 on Duck Lane. where the road passes the front of the school.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.