Local News Thursday 17th February

Thursday, 17 February 2022 06:00

Dozens of highly skilled new jobs could soon be coming to Yeovil. A campaign’s been launched to change the name of the new unitary council for Somerset. The owner of a garden centre at Castle Cary says a ban on the import of seed potatoes from Europe is costing his business thousands of pounds in lost trade. A bucket collection at the Octagon Theatre has raised £9,000 for two local charities...and more.

Dozens of highly skilled new jobs could soon be coming to Yeovil. It follows a decision by the District Council to give the go-ahead to a new warehouse and freight hub on Seafire Park on Bunford Lane. The warehouse will provide 7,700 square meters of floor space, with lorries entering the site through Watercombe Lane.

A campaign’s been launched to change the name of the new unitary council for Somerset. The new, one council, takes over running all council services from May next year and has been called Somerset Council. Nevertheless, Somerset Guardians, a non-political pressure group, want that changed to South and West Somerset Council. They say the new unitary will cover only part of historic Somerset and that like North Somerset Council in the north and Bath and North East Somerset Council in the northeast of the County, the name of the new council should change to South and West Somerset Council to reflect more accurately the area it will serve.

The owner of a garden centre at Castle Cary says a ban on the import of seed potatoes from Europe is costing his business thousands of pounds in lost trade. After Brexit, the EU banned seed potato imports into Europe from Britain. Then in June last year, Britain reciprocated by banning European potatoes from entering the UK. Chris Smith of Pennard Plants says it’s time the government and EU settled their differences.

A bucket collection at the Octagon Theatre has raised £9,000 for two local charities. The money, donated by the public during the run of the Christmas panto, Mother Goose, has been divided equally between The Foyer Club and the Breast Cancer Unit Appeal at Yeovil Hospital

People in Kingstone near Ilminster are campaigning for a 30 mph speed limit through the parish. Kingstone Parish Meeting has set up a petition to introduce traffic calming measures through the whole of Kingstone, and neighbouring parts of Moolham Lane and Mill Lane last May.

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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

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Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

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