Streetlights, bus shelters and traffic lights in South Somerset are to be used to host more infrastructure for 4G and 5G mobile phone networks. It’s been confirmed that Midas Construction Limited has gone into administration. The former Beale’s department store in Yeovil has been put up for rent. Sexey’s School in Bruton has been rated as ‘good’ for its boarding provision following an Ofsted inspection. Registration has opened for people planning to vote by proxy in May’s local elections...and more.
Streetlights, bus shelters and traffic lights in South Somerset are to be used to host more infrastructure for 4G and 5G mobile phone networks. It follows Somerset being chosen to take part in a national trial to boost mobile coverage by cutting local council red tape.
It’s been confirmed that Midas Construction Limited has gone into administration. The company was awarded a multi-million-pound contract by South Somerset District Council to smarten up Yeovil town centre as part of Yeovil Refresh. Midas has stopped work on the improvement scheme in Westminster Street and at the bandstand in Lower Middle Street.
The former Beale’s department store in Yeovil has been put up for rent. The five-floor Grade-II listed building was sold at auction in May last year and has been unoccupied since Beale’s left Yeovil in March 2020. The building at 23-25 High Street is advertised to rent at £1,535 a month.
Sexey’s School in Bruton has been rated as ‘good’ for its boarding provision following an Ofsted inspection. Their report highlighted the commitment by staff to ensure the welfare and safety of students at Sexey’s which is managed by the Quantock Education Trust.
Registration has opened for people planning to vote by proxy in May’s local elections. Polling on Thursday, May 5th is to elect councillors to run the new Somerset unitary council. Somerset Council will operate in shadow form for one year and take responsibility for all council’s services in May 2023 at which point the district councils and County Council will close. You can register for a proxy or postal ballet on the South Somerset District Council website.
Children at Horsington Church School have been learning about the world of horse racing. A group of children from years 5 and 6, spent a day behind the scenes at Wincanton racecourse, under the guidance of ‘Racing to School’, a charity that aims to inspire the next generation to take an interest in horseracing.
Somerset’s Lando Norris has extended his contract with McLaren. The Formula One racing driver will stay with the team until the end of 2025.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.