Local News Monday 22nd May

Monday, 22 May 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Five thousand people have now signed a petition opposing plans to close the acute stroke ward at Yeovil Hospital. People in Queen Camel have launched a crowdfunding appeal to help repair the damage caused by the major flooding event of two weeks ago. The main A30 through West Coker is to shut for six weeks this summer for resurfacing and new traffic lights...and more.

Five thousand people have now signed a petition opposing plans to close the acute stroke ward at Yeovil Hospital. NHS Somerset wants to shut the Yeovil unit and centralise stroke services at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. Both Yeovil and Musgrove Park hospitals have stroke units but NHS Somerset says a shortage of specialist staff means they can’t provide twenty-four-hour cover.

People in Queen Camel have launched a crowdfunding appeal to help repair the damage caused by the major flooding event of two weeks ago.

The main A30 through West Coker is to shut for six weeks this summer for resurfacing and new traffic lights. The road will close between the Coker Hill Bridge and Green Lane from Saturday, July 22nd to Monday, September 4th. The new traffic lights will be installed by the Post Office at the junction of High Street with Church Street and East Street. Motorists using the A30 to drive into Yeovil from Chard and Crewkerne will be diverted along the A356 and onto the A303 adding seventeen miles to the journey.

A twenty-year-old man has been jailed for twenty-eight months for supplying crack cocaine and heroin in Yeovil. Taunton Crown Court was told that Seamus Ford of Eastleigh in Hampshire was arrested during a policing operation targeted at County Lines Drugs dealing.

Plans have been submitted to convert a former day centre in Chard into a special needs school. The building on Wilkins Close, previously called the Laurels, closed as a day centre in 2020 and is now owned by Somerset Council. Three Dimensions Ltd has applied for planning permission to convert the building to a special school for up to thirty pupils.

A new leaflet's been produced to help cyclists discover more of Somerset. It’s divided into eight sections exploring country lanes, market towns and villages, covering eighty miles of cycleways. The leaflet's free and is available from tourist information centres.

Councillor Leanne Taylor was re-elected Mayor of Ilminster at the Town Council's annual meeting. Councillor Brian Hamilton was re-elected to act as her deputy.

More from News

Friday 8th May

Police investigating a fire in Shepton Mallet are appealing for help to identify two people. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has called for more government support for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. This weekend sees the start of the Great Gardening Show at The Newt near Bruton...and more
Thursday 7th May

A disabled man has taken his case to the High Court, arguing that Somerset Council’s council tax reduction scheme is discriminatory. Bristol Airport says travellers planning summer holidays should not change their plans. Chard and Ilminster Amateur Boxing Club has launched a fundraising appeal,..and more
Wednesday 6th May

Pharmacists in Somerset say it's becoming difficult to get hold of some medications. The building used as Club Neo in Stars Lane in Yeovil has been put up for sale. Free gym memberships are being offered to people living with Parkinson's in Somerset...and more
Tuesday 5th May

An investigation has been launched following a suspected arson attack at Sherborne Police Station. Somerset Council is spending £2.3 million on 14 new road gritters. Ilminster Literary Festival is marking its tenth anniversary this year... and more
Friday 1st May

A Yeovil man has pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour towards two female paramedics. Police in Chard are appealing for the public’s help following a spate of thefts in the Henson Park area of the town. Pet store chain, Jollyes, is opening a new branch in Yeovil... and more
Thursday 30th April

More than 4,500 people have expressed interest in joining a new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne. Somerset Council says a long-term solution is needed to make Hendford Hill in Yeovil fully safe for motorists. A Somerset man has won first prize at the World Marmalade Awards... and more
Wednesday 29th April

Somerset Council says Hendford Hill in Yeovil should be fully reopened to traffic by the end of May. Plans have been approved to build 40 new homes in Crewkerne. A huge pile of illegally dumped rubbish in Glastonbury has been cleared... and more
Tuesday 28th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal collision at Rimpton. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in South Petherton. Former Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has been retained as first-team manager of Taunton Town for next season... and more