Local News Monday 23rd January

Monday, 23 January 2023 06:00

South Somerset District Council is being accused of not having a long-term strategy to fill empty shops in Yeovil town centre. Double yellow lines are to be introduced on A371 outside Castle Cary railway station to stop train users from parking at the roadside. It's been confirmed that the Shindig Festival will be held on the Dillington Estate near Ilminster up to 2025. Wincanton Tennis Club has stepped in to help with the war effort in Ukraine...and more.

South Somerset District Council is being accused of not having a long-term strategy to fill empty shops in Yeovil town centre. Councillor Tareth Casey, an Independent member of Yeovil Town Council, says the district council should be offering retailers better incentives to come to Yeovil to invest in opening new shops. He claims the £24 million pounds being spent by the council on pavement improvements and an entertainment area as part of the Yeovil Refresh Project is not enough of an incentive to attract the investment needed to bring Yeovil’s High Street back to life again.

Double yellow lines are to be introduced on A371 outside Castle Cary railway station to stop train users from parking at the roadside. It follows complaints about vehicles being left all day parked half on the pavement and half on the road, forcing pedestrians to walk onto the road to get past the parked vehicles.

It's been confirmed that the Shindig Festival will be held on the Dillington Estate near Ilminster up to 2025. The festival was originally held near Bruton before relocating to Dillington last year. This year’s event is set to run from the 26th to the 28th of May

A recruitment campaign has been launched by Somerset County Council, the NHS, and Registered Care Providers Association to encourage more people to work in social care in Somerset. One-in-ten jobs in social care are currently vacant.

Wincanton Tennis Club has stepped in to help with the war effort in Ukraine. The Club has sent some old worn-out tennis nets to Ukraine for turning into camouflage nets to protect Ukrainian forces against the Russians.

A meeting’s being held tonight of the Planning Committee of Yeovil Town. Items for discussion include locating a digital advertising screen in Middle Street. The meeting, which is open to the public, takes place at the Town House in South Street and starts at 7 pm.

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Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.