The future of Chinnock Hollow was discussed at a packed public meeting held in East Chinnock last night. A ban on street drinking and begging in Yeovil town centre is being extended to October 2025. Villagers living around Long Sutton have won their long-running fight to stop a local quarry from re-opening. A Yeovil man who trains dogs to behave better has been nominated for a national award for his outstanding work and a member of the Royal family is on an official visit at RNAS Yeovilton today.
The future of Chinnock Hollow, the road linking East Chinnock with Odcombe that’s been shut for the past 20 months due to landslip, was discussed at a packed public meeting held in East Chinnock last night. Local residents were told that Somerset County Council is considering permanently closing the road due to the expense of making it safe. But local councillor, Ross Aitken, has called of the road to be re-opened in its current state and for no more money to spend on geotechnical surveys.
A ban on street drinking and begging in Yeovil town centre is being extended to October 2025. Yeovil town centre is the subject of two public space protection orders, giving the police and local authority powers to stop people from drinking in public and begging. Now, the by-law is to run for a further three years in a bid to tackle the ongoing problem of anti-social behaviour with anyone violating the by-law served with a warning letter or fixed penalty notice for £100.
Villagers living around Long Sutton have won their long-running fight to stop a local quarry from re-opening. Quarry owners, Henry Ford, had applied for planning permission to re-start mining at the former Batts Lane Quarry with the intention of extracting 30,000 tonnes of stone over the next fifteen years. Somerset County Council had twice rejected the planning application and now their decision has been upheld by the Planning Inspectorate following an appeal hearing.
A Yeovil man who trains dogs to behave better has been nominated for a national award for his outstanding work. Max Randall, known to his friends as the dog whisperer, set up MK9 Plus, an online video platform aimed at helping owners gain a better understanding of their dog’s mental health, has won a place in the finals of the Pet Industry Federation Awards for 2022.
A member of the Royal family is on an official visit at RNAS Yeovilton today. The visit is marking the commissioning of the Royal Naval Reserve Air Branch as HMS Pegasus.
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.