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.
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more