Local News Monday 7th June

Monday, 7 June 2021 07:15

More than three-hundred-and-sixty-thousand people in Somerset have now received their first Covid vaccine, according to new figures from NHS England. The result of a public poll on the shake-up of local government in Somerset is due to be announced today. Avon and Somerset Police are providing officers for the policing operation at the G7 summit in Cornwall later this week. South Somerset District Council has given a grant of £400,000 towards new emergency accommodation for homeless people in Yeovil...and more.

More than three-hundred-and-sixty-thousand people in Somerset have now received their first Covid vaccine, according to new figures from NHS England. They also say that in the latest age group to be given the jab, 30 to 34-year-olds, around a third of people have already been vaccinated.

The result of a public poll on the shake-up of local government in Somerset is due to be announced today. Polling closed on Friday on the plan to scrap Somerset’s existing five councils and replace them with one council to run all services in Somerset or two councils, one based on the eastern side of the county the other on the western side. The government says it won’t be influenced in making its decision by the outcome. The poll’s been funded by Somerset’s four district councils and described by Somerset County Council as a ‘waste of public money’.

Avon and Somerset Police are providing officers for the policing operation at the G7 summit in Cornwall later this week. It’s not been confirmed how many offers are being deployed but Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset, Mark Shelford, says helping at the G7 won’t affect policing levels in Somerset.

South Somerset District Council has given a grant of £400,000 towards new emergency accommodation for homeless people in Yeovil. The Pathways facility on Newton Road in Yeovil, which houses up to 30 people, is no longer considered fit for purpose. The new facility, on the outskirts of Yeovil, will have 39 en-suite rooms with kitchenettes, and communal space for group work and leisure activities.

Work starts this week on major repairs to the David Hall in South Petherton. The arts venue has been given grants totalling thirty-five thousand pounds to make the building safe, including blocking a leaking roof.

More from News

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