Average council tax bills in Somerset are set to rise by £78 a year when the new Somerset unitary council comes into being, replacing the county council and four district councils in April. Night-time buses are expected to start running in Somerset from Monday, January 23rd. A famous Somerset drink has been featured in the new Sam Mendes film Empire of Light...and more.
Average council tax bills in Somerset are set to rise by £78 a year when the new Somerset unitary council comes into being, replacing the county council and four district councils in April. A number of major capital projects, like the planned regeneration of Wincanton town centre, have been put on hold to help cut spending at the new council by £40 million a year.
Night-time buses are expected to start running in Somerset from Monday, January 23rd. A late bus will operate between Taunton and Chard up to 10.30 pm Monday to Saturday. The routes, that are being subsidised by Somerset County Council, are aimed at getting more people to use public transport.
A famous Somerset drink has been featured in the new Sam Mendes film Empire of Light. Babycham, produced by the Showerings family in Shepton Mallet, makes an appearance in the movie, starring Olivia Coleman and Colin Firth, and set in the 1980s when Babycham was at its most popular.
Parish councils along the A358 Ilminster to Taunton road are hoping their concerns will be taken into account during the period of the delay involving a planning application to turn the road into a dual carriageway. National Highways has decided to look again at the impact the project will have on the environment and not submit the planning application for widening the road until the review has been completed. Chairman of West Hatch parish council, Councillor Keith Read claims that dualing the A358 will be highly detrimental to the local environment.
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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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
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