Local News Thursday 12th May

Thursday, 12 May 2022 06:00

A two-mile section of the A303 through South Somerset will close for three days from tomorrow. Police are warning motorists in Crewkerne they could be fined for stopping in ‘yellow box junctions’ when turning. Ilminster's Repair Shop is due to re-open tomorrow after closing temporarily due to volunteers becoming overwhelmed with items in for repair. Events held at the Octagon Theatre and the Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil for Ukraine have raised more than eight-and-a-half thousand pounds...and more.

A two-mile section of the A303 through South Somerset will close for three days from tomorrow (Friday 13-05). It’s to allow for a temporary bridge to be installed over the carriageway at Steart Hill near the Sparkford roundabout. The bridge is for the use of construction vehicles dualling the A303 between Sparkford and Podimore. The road will shut at 10 pm tomorrow evening and motorists will be diverted along the A359 and A37. The road is due to re-open at 5 am on Monday morning.

Police are warning motorists in Crewkerne they could be fined for stopping in ‘yellow box junctions’ when turning. It follows reports that drivers regularly stop in the ‘yellow box’ in South Street, which the police say is a breach of the Highway Code.

Ilminster's Repair Shop is due to re-open tomorrow after closing temporarily due to volunteers becoming overwhelmed with items in for repair. Since opening in February, The Repair Shop in Silver Street says it’s been inundated with requests from the public to help.

Events held at the Octagon Theatre and the Westlands Entertainment Venue in Yeovil for Ukraine have raised more than eight-and-a-half thousand pounds. ‘Concert for Ukraine’ was held at the Octagon on Friday 1st April and Rock for Ukraine at Westlands on Friday 22nd April with proceeds going to School in a Bag’s Ukraine Crisis Appeal and the Disasters Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Drones are being used to help clamp down on illegal fishing in Somerset. Fisheries officers have been working with Police and the Environment Agency to spot those using illegal nets, or fishing out of season. Anyone fishing illegally could face a fine of up to £2,500.

The Cotley Inn at Wambrook near Chard has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Visit England Awards for Excellence 2022. The pub's owners, Maddie and Ben, now have to wait until the national awards ceremony in Birmingham on June 8th to find out if they’ve won gold, silver or bronze.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

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.
Wednesday 30th April

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.
Tuesday 29th April

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.
Monday 28th April

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.
Friday 25th April

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
Thursday 24th April

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.
Wednesday 23rd April

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.
Tuesday 22nd April

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.