Local News Thursday 17th August

    Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh is blocking plans to divert five million pounds away from regenerating the former cattle market and Glovers Walk in Yeovil. A campaign’s been launched in Somerset to help hedgehogs get around more easily. The actor James Purefoy will switch on the Christmas Lights in Ilminster this year...and more.

    Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh is blocking plans to divert five-million pounds of government funding away from regenerating the former cattle market and Glovers Walk in Yeovil. Somerset Council has asked the Department of Communities for the money to be re-allocated to the Yeovil Refresh Project which is four million pounds over budget with further investment needed to pay for unplanned works. Mr Fysh says the five-million pounds was given specifically to help with re-purposing the Cattle Market and Glovers Walk, and should be spent on those projects.

    A campaign’s been launched in Somerset to make it easier for hedgehogs to get around more easily. Currently, they have difficulty moving between gardens due to fences blocking their way. Now, two animal charities have launched a campaign aimed at persuading fencing manufacturers to produce fences with hedgehog entry points to allow the animals to move about more freely. 

    The British Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman championships take place in Chard next weekend. Disabled athletes from across the UK will be in the town competing to be Britain’s strongest disabled man and woman. The event's being held at Holyrood Academy on the 26th and 27th of August.

    This year’s Christmas lights in Ilminster will be switch-on by the actor James Purefoy. Organisers say a twenty-foot-high Christmas tree they plan for the town centre will be the tallest in Somerset.

    Organisers of the village newsletter in Donyatt have been presented with a cheque for four hundred pounds. The money was raised by Donyatt Flower Club and will be used to pay the running costs of producing the newsletter.

    More from News

    • Wednesday 17th June

      Avon and Somerset Police say they'll be carrying out enhanced patrols for drink and drug driving during and after England's opening World Cup game tonight. Somerset Chamber of Commerce is warning that the conflict in Iran is having a serious impact on local businesses. A master thatcher based in Ilminster says the traditional craft of thatching is under threat because of a lack of training opportunities...and more

    • Tuesday 16th June

      Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal two-vehicle crash on the A358 near Ilminster. A man from Norton-sub-Hamdon has appeared in court charged with drink driving. An original Mr Blobby costume from the former Blobbyland theme park at Cricket St Thomas has been put up for sale... and more

    • Monday 15th June

      People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more

    • Friday 12th June

      It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more

    • Thursday 11th June

      Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more

    • Wednesday 10th June

      The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more

    • Tuesday 9th June

      The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more

    • Monday 8th June

      Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Light rain

      High: 20°C | Low: 14°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 20°C | Low: 14°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 20°C | Low: 14°C

    • Somerton

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 15°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain

      High: 21°C | Low: 15°C

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