Local News Monday 18th July

Monday, 18 July 2022 06:00

There’s been a delay to work starting on a £30 million pound upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. A hospital ward in Yeovil has introduced a booking system for visitors after an outbreak of coronavirus. The Liberal Democrats have won a council by-election in Yeovil. A voluntary group in Ilminster, aiming to plant a tree for every resident of the town has so far planted nearly half its target number of trees. A new NHS facility has opened in Yeovil town centre...and more.

There’s been a delay to work starting on a £30 million pound upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The Octagon was due to close in January for work to begin but will now stay open until May. The theatre’s owners, South Somerset District Council said a number of key milestones with the Octagon project have still to be reached before the upgrade can start. The revamped Octagon Theatre will include an increase in seating capacity in the main auditorium from 622 to 900. Two cinema/ studio spaces for film screenings, a dance studio, and a new café and restaurant area. The Council recently allocated a further six million pounds to the project to offset a rise in material costs.

A hospital ward in Yeovil has introduced a booking system for visitors after an outbreak of coronavirus. Rowan Ward at Summerlands Hospital has brought in the measure to minimise the spread of the virus. Rowan ward has a total of 18 beds and provides assessment and treatment for adults who are experiencing acute mental health problems.

The Liberal Democrats have won a council by-election in Yeovil. It was to represent the Brympton ward on South Somerset District Council. Barbara Appleby for the Lib Dems topped the poll with 582 votes. Tony Power for the Conservatives came second with 251 votes. Alan Flint for the Greens was third with 71 votes. Terry Ledlie for Labour was fourth on 61 votes and Ashley Richards, the Independent, came fifth with 29 votes. The turnout was 15.7 per cent, meaning less than one in six of those eligible to vote turned out to vote.

A voluntary group in Ilminster, aiming to plant a tree for every resident of the town has so far planted nearly half its target number of trees. The Ilminster Tree Group set out three years ago to plant seven-and-a-half-thousand trees, one for each adult person in Ilminster.

A new NHS facility has opened in Yeovil town centre. The centre that offers a variety of eye treatments, including those for glaucoma, is based in the Quedam shopping centre in a unit previously occupied by Monsoon.

An Ilchester cheese supplier has won seven commendations for the quality of its cheeses. Norseland was recognised for its dairy and plant-based products at the International Cheese Awards.

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Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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