Police have arrested a man in Martock in connection with a laser being shone at aircraft. Plans to build a new primary school in Chard have been put on hold. The waiting time for a driving test in Somerset is now more than six months, according to the Motor Schools Association and a Somerset cider producer has joined a national campaign calling for cider to be made up of a minimum of 50 percent apple fruit juice.
Police have arrested a man in Martock in connection with a laser being shone at aircraft. It follows reports of pilots operating out of RNAS Yeovilton and Bristol Airport being targeted by a laser, while flying over the Martock area. The man has since been released under investigation, and enquiries are ongoing.
Plans to build a new primary school in Chard have been put on hold. A site for a new school has been identified with the school needed to cater to the many hundreds more new homes being built in Chard. But Somerset County Council now says currently there is no requirement for Chard to have a new primary school provided and has cancelled borrowing of £5 million pounds to fund the project. The County Council says it will look again at building a new primary school in Chard in 3-years-time.
The waiting time for a driving test in Somerset is now more than six months, according to the Motor Schools Association. Nationally, the problem is worse with over half-a-million people currently waiting for a date to take a test.
A Somerset cider producer has joined a national campaign calling for cider to be made up of a minimum of 50 percent apple fruit juice. Currently, the drink can have as little as 30 percent apple juice in it. John Lawrence, who runs Lawrence's Cider in Corton Denham, near Sherborne, says it would mean planting more trees which would be good for the environment.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more