Monday 15th July

Monday, 15 July 2024 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil Hospital says a new operating theatre, specialising in orthopaedic surgery, is on target to open by the end of the year. Somerset Council’s ruling executive meets today to decide on paying its waste contractor, Suez, an extra 47 million pounds. Six thousand children at thirty primary schools in Somerset have taken part in a musical promotion in support of Team GB at the Paris Olympics...and more.

Yeovil Hospital says a new operating theatre, specialising in orthopaedic surgery, is on target to open by the end of the year. The theatre is currently being built on the roof of an existing four-storey building and will bring the number of operating theatres to five at Yeovil Hospital.

Somerset Council’s ruling executive meets today to decide on paying its waste contractor, Suez, an extra 47 million pounds to keep emptying Somerset's bins. Suez says it’s making big losses operating its waste contract with Somerset Council and needs the extra 47 million pounds to stay afloat. A report to today’s meeting says paying Suez the 47 million pounds will cost Somerset Council less than bringing the waste collection service ‘in-house’ or re-tendering the contract.

Wessex Water says its customers in Somerset will see their bills reduce by around two percent, despite water prices nationally going up. Wessex Water says the average household bill will be £497. Meanwhile, South West Water customers in Somerset face paying 13 percent more for water, with the average household bill rising to £560.

A former Press Officer at Yeovil Town says he’s lucky to still be walking after developing a serious back problem. James Healey was given emergency surgery after a bundle of nerves became trapped at the bottom of his spine, a condition known as Cauda Equina Syndrome. As a thank you to the Bristol hospital that treated him, James is currently completing a 100 km fund raising walk.

Six thousand children at thirty primary schools in Somerset have taken part in a musical promotion in support of Team GB at the Paris Olympics. Their voices have been brought together on a Voices for Life project to record the sporting anthem ‘Let's Go’.

More from News

Thursday 12th November

Somerset’s gritters are on standby as temperatures fall below freezing in parts of the county. A major restoration project at Montacute House near Yeovil is nearing completion. Two pubs in our area have been named among the UK's top 100 in the latest Good Food Guide rankings... and more
Wednesday 11th November

Two-thirds of police officers at Avon and Somerset Police say they're often too fatigued to carry out their duties. A local councillor is calling for more female-only accommodation to be provided to help end rough sleeping. Somerset’s motorway service stations have been ranked among some of the worst in the country... and more
Tuesday 10th November

Somerset’s housing target could be cut by almost 15,000 homes. More than half a million pounds in Arts Council funding to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre has been handed back. People in Somerset with type 2 diabetes are being invited to join a new research study... and more
Monday 9th November

Facial recognition cameras are to be used by police in Somerset for the first time. Badger culling against bovine TB has officially ended in Somerset. The 5-star Summer Lodge Hotel in Evershot has a new owner...and more
Friday 6th November

Up to 70 jobs could go at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Police are investigating a fire at the former Pittard factory in Yeovil. Families on low incomes are being offered tickets at just £3 to this year’s Yeovil pantomime...and more
Thursday 5th November

South West Water says reservoir levels in Somerset are starting to recover after recent heavy rainfall. Castle Cary railway station is to get a new footbridge. A young dancer from Martock has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet... and more
Wednesday 4th November

People in Somerset will go to the polls in May 2028 to elect a new mayor for the Wessex region. A Somerset farmer who failed a breath test after being caught asleep at the wheel of his tractor has narrowly avoided losing his driving licence. The new Ham Hill Visitor Centre has been named a regional winner in the Building Excellence Awards 2026... and more
tuesday 3rd November

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to improve its planning enforcement team. Drivers are being advised that work to replace the central barrier on the M5 near Wellington starts this week. A health food shop in Chard has been crowned High Street Shop of the Year... and more