Local News Monday 30th May

Monday, 30 May 2022 06:00

South Somerset District Council says it’s planning to begin the £30 million pound upgrade to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in January. It’s been announced that Bruton School for Girls is to permanently close in July due to a drop in pupil numbers. Conservation groups are warning walkers in Somerset to beware of disturbing baby deer over the next few weeks. A report has found what caused a flight from RNAS Yeovilton to crash last summer narrowly avoiding houses...and more.

South Somerset District Council says it’s planning to begin the £30 million pound upgrade to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in January. The redevelopment will include a fly tower, expanding the main auditorium capacity from 622 to 900, and creating two smaller cinema or studio spaces, with a dance studio and community studio. The Council says the project is subject to an ongoing review but the current plan is for the Octagon to close for work to begin early in the New Year.

It’s been announced that Bruton School for Girls is to permanently close in July due to a drop in pupil numbers. In 2018 the school had 199 pupils. The predicted number on roll from September is 45. Bruton School for Girls is part of The King's School Bruton Foundation. The two other schools in the Foundation, King's of Bruton and Hazlegrove, are not affected by the decision.

Conservation groups are warning walkers in Somerset to beware of disturbing baby deer over the next few weeks. Pregnant deer are currently giving birth and nursing their young across the Mendips and the Blackdown Hills. A new campaign is asking people not to approach young deer hidden in the grass and to keep dogs under close control.

A report has found what caused a flight from RNAS Yeovilton to crash last summer narrowly avoiding houses. The Hawker Sea Fury’s crankpin failed causing the engine to seize less than five minutes after take off. The pilot and his passenger both escaped without serious injury.

A petition’s been started calling on Somerset County Council to ban trail hunting on land that it owns and manages. The petition organisers, The League Against Cruel Sports, say trail hunting is a smokescreen for illegal hunting and claim that Somerset remains a hotspot for fox and deer hunting.

A shop in Chard has presented a cheque for £760 to Chard Hospital League of Friends. The Original Factory Shop on Great Western Road in Chard raised the money by selling carrier bags and holding a Christmas Bingo.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. 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 .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more