Local News Monday 14th November

Monday, 14 November 2022 06:00

A report just out says the new Somerset Council is facing a shortfall in its budget of £74.2 million pounds and that urgent savings will have to be made. A Yeovil car dealership is set to expand into an empty office block. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident in Kingsbury Episcopi. Unpaid carers in Somerset aren't getting the support they need. The Reverend Michael Beasley has been installed as the new Bishop of Bath and Wells...and more.

A report just out says the new Somerset Council is facing a shortfall in its budget of £74.2 million pounds and that urgent savings will have to be made. The new Council, which will replace the County Council and four district councils in Somerset, including South Somerset District Council, has already identified savings of £27.8 million but the report says for the budget to balance, further savings of £38.2million will have to be made. The Executive at Somerset County Council, who are overseeing the launch of the new unitary Somerset Council meet on Wednesday this week to consider ways in which further spending cuts can be made.

A Yeovil car dealership is set to expand into an empty office block. Yeovil Audi on the Houndstone Business Park has been given permission to extend into Brunel House which stands opposite its car showroom on the Houndstone Business Park. The permission includes a change of use on the building from offices to a vehicle repair facility.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident in Kingsbury Episcopi. It happened on Tuesday, November 8th at around 7.40 am when a cyclist collided with a blue VW Golf in Dudmoor. Police want to hear from anyone with dashcam footage of either the car or cyclist before the accident.

Unpaid carers in Somerset aren't getting the support they need. A new report from Carers UK shows that many unpaid carers face difficulties getting NHS treatment for the people they look after and are struggling to pay their bills.

The Reverend Michael Beasley has been installed as the new Bishop of Bath and Wells. He’s the 80th Bishop to hold the office which is the third highest ranked position in the Church of England. His enthronement was held at Wells Cathedral at the weekend watched on by a congregation of 900.

£2,700 has been donated to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance thanks to the efforts of staff and customers at Plumbase in Yeovil. Plumbase, who have their bathroom showroom on the Pen Mill trading estate, raised the money through various events including a skittles and curry night, World Cup sweepstakes, and giving customers a free meat pie in return for a donation to the Air Ambulance.

A new exhibition of fashion in Somerset from the 1700’s onwards has opened at the Museum of Somerset. It features everything from utility wear from the post war era to a wedding dress made in 1910.

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