Local News Monday 14th August

Monday, 14 August 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil leather manufacturer Pittards, has gone into administration putting two hundred jobs at risk. Somerset Council has dropped plans to bring forward the redevelopment of the former cattle market site in Yeovil. The Princess of Wales has been named as the new Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm at RNAS Yeovilton...and more .

Yeovil leather manufacturer, Pittards, has gone into administration putting two hundred jobs at risk at its factory on Sherborne Road. Pittards, who last month put its employees on short-time working to save money, also manages tanneries in Ethiopia on behalf of the Ethiopian government. The collapse follows a failed attempt by Pittards to raise one-point-one-million pounds in additional capital to keep the business afloat. Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says he’ll be speaking today with the Administrators to see what, if anything, can be done to preserve the business.

Somerset Council has dropped its plans to bring forward the redevelopment of the former cattle market off Reckleford in Yeovil and Glovers Walk next to Yeovil bus station, meaning the two sites could remain derelict for several more years. The government has given five million pounds to attract investors to develop the cattle market and Glovers Walk but Somerset Council says the money's now needed to complete the improvements to Yeovil town centre. They've written to the Department for Local Government to ask for clearance to divert the five-million pounds to the Yeovil Refresh Project. As yet, the government haven’t said if they will allow the money to be spent in this way.

A by-election in Castle Cary to fill a vacancy on Somerset Council has been won by the Liberal Democrats. The result of the ballot held last Thursday was:
Kevin Messenger, Liberal Democrat, who polled one-thousand-two-hundred-and-forty-seven votes
David Hall, Conservative, six-hundreds-and-fourteen votes
Ewan Jones, Green Party, four-hundred-and-fifteen votes
The turnout was twenty-eight-point-three per cent

A woman in Somerset has gone public after losing forty-thousand pounds in a crypto currency scheme which had claimed to be endorsed by TV Money expert Martin Lewis. The woman hadn't realised she was being scammed. Trading Standards say there's been a big rise in scams using fake celebrity endorsements.

The Princess of Wales has been named as the new Commodore-in-Chief of the Fleet Air Arm, based at RNAS Yeovilton. The role was previously held by Prince Andrew.

Station Road in Crewkerne is closed to traffic from today for resurfacing. The work’s due to be completed by Wednesday. Access for residents and local businesses will be maintained.

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.