It’s thought the government will announce a decision on the future of local government in Somerset by the end of July. A cheese producer in South Somerset is blaming Brexit for not being able to recruit new staff. A road in South Somerset closed four months ago after a landslide and could remain off-limits until the autumn. Lasagne could be replaced with lentils on school dinner menus in Somerset if a former primary school teacher gets her way.
It’s thought the government will announce a decision on the future of local government in Somerset by the end of July. All interested parties are agreed that local councils in Somerset have to change. The County Council want one council to run all services, the four district councils want a two council solution, one council based on the eastern side of Somerset the other on the western side. The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, is due to make an announcement before the summer Parliamentary recess on July 22.
A cheese producer in South Somerset is blaming Brexit for not being able to recruit new staff. Norseland, in Ilchester, says many workers left the business to return to their home countries when the UK formally exited the EU at the start of the year. The company is looking to fill vacancies on 40-hour-a-week contracts and part-time vacancies on 20-hour-a-week contracts.
A road in South Somerset closed four months ago after a landslide and could remain off-limits until the autumn. Chinnock Hollow, between East Chinnock and Odcombe, was blocked by a landslip back in February. Somerset County Council say "due to the complexities of the situation" the road is likely to stay shut for several more months
Lasagne could be replaced with lentils on school dinner menus in Somerset if a former primary school teacher gets her way. Catherine Cannon has launched a campaign to have more plant-based meals served in schools. She wants the change made in school menus to help with climate change and because non-meat meals are cheaper to produce.
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.
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