Local News Monday 12th July

    House building in South Somerset reached record levels at the start of 2021. Local manufacturing businesses are struggling to fill low-skilled vacancies following the loss of EU workers. A Yeovil man has been jailed for handling goods. The ambulance service for Somerset says last week was its busiest week on record. Research by Sport England shows that people in South Somerset have been put off going outside for exercise because of Covid...and more

    House building in South Somerset reached record levels at the start of 2021. Figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show that between January and March construction was completed on 230 new homes in South Somerset, the highest number for the quarter since records began in 2005.

    Local manufacturing businesses are struggling to fill low-skilled vacancies following the loss of EU workers. Somerset Chamber of Commerce says nearly 70 percent of manufacturers are having difficulty recruiting new staff. 

    A Yeovil man has been jailed for handling goods. Jamie Staite, of Grass Royal in Yeovil, received a 16 months sentence following a hearing at Taunton Crown Court. The case centered around an incident in February this year when equipment and two vehicles were stolen from a construction site at Evercreech.

    The ambulance service for Somerset says last week was its busiest week on record. South Western Ambulance Service responded to more than 22,000 incidents up to last Friday. It's asking people to only call 999 if someone is seriously injured or ill and there is a risk to life.

    Research by Sport England shows that people in South Somerset have been put off going outside for exercise because of Covid. Over a fifth of people in Somerset are active for less than half an hour a week. To try and tackle the problem, a new project's starting called 'Get Outside in Somerset' and it's targeting people aged between 55 and 75. 

    A farm enterprise near Crewkerne has won a top award for its work. Coombe Farm Organic at Roundham was voted number one for producing the best organic food boxes at the Soil Association Awards. 

    More from News

    • 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

    • Wednesday 3rd June

      A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 22°C | Low: 13°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 13°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 24°C | Low: 13°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain shower

      High: 23°C | Low: 13°C

    Recently Played