Local News Monday 22nd August

Monday, 22 August 2022 06:00

Bus services around Yeovil and across Somerset are set to benefit after the government confirmed that £130 million is to be invested in the bus network across the country. Uncertainty surrounds the future of Cineworld on the Yeo Leisure Park, off Station Road in Yeovil. Repairs to the A30 at Sherborne have entered the third week after further damage was found to a gas pipe. Police are investigating a fatal crash that happened on the A303 near Wincanton...and more.

Bus services around Yeovil and across Somerset are set to benefit after the government confirmed that £130 million is to be invested in the bus network across the country. The funding represents a six-month extension of the bus recovery grant and should secure services at their current level until March next year.

Uncertainty surrounds the future of Cineworld on the Yeo Leisure Park, off Station Road in Yeovil. This is after reports that owners of the Cineworld Group, are preparing to file for bankruptcy. The company is understood to have hired consultants to advise on the bankruptcy process. In a statement, Cineworld said low admission levels at their cinemas have had a negative impact on the group’s liquidity position.

Repairs to the A30 at Sherborne have entered the third week after further damage was found to a gas pipe. The road has been closed between Marston Road and Bristol Road since Thursday, August 11, following an accident in which a combine harvester collided with a gas main. The A30 is not expected to re-open to traffic as normal until Wednesday this week at the earliest.

Police are investigating a fatal crash that happened on the A303 near Wincanton. A car and a van collided on the road last Thursday evening. The driver of the car, a woman in her 20’s, died at the scene. The driver of the van was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

A Fleet Air Arm war veteran has been treated to a special flyover of the plane that he used to pilot. Ralph Jameson, who’s 98, relived memories as the Navy Wings Seafire was flown over his residential care home in Leigh near Sherborne as a thank you for his long service. Mr Jameson flew Barracudas and Fireflies with the British Pacific Fleet during the Second World War and continued to fly with the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve after the war. The flyover was staged by Navy Wings, who are based at RNAS Yeovilton.

More from News

Friday 31st October

There's anger in Chard about a road diversion in place alongside two sets of roadworks through the town. A motorcyclist has been injured in an accident in Bruton. £100,000 has been donated towards re-opening Shepton Mallet’s Amulet theatre...and more
Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been detected at a nature reserve in Somerset, resulting in the closure of part of it. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain...and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .