Local News Thursday 23rd March

Thursday, 23 March 2023 06:00

Plans have been submitted to redevelop the site of Yeovil College. A Somerset man has been jailed for three years for importing drugs into the UK. Yeovil-based Screwfix has bought a business out of administration saving 400 jobs. An empty building in Chard, earmarked for demolition, won’t now be knocked down. A Somerset man has been chosen to feature in a new fundraising campaign for guide dogs...and more.

Plans have been submitted to redevelop the site of Yeovil College. If approved, a number of the older buildings, including the main Kingston building, would be demolished and replaced by three new buildings. The plans also include a one-way internal through-road linking the A37 Ilchester Road and Mudford Road.

A Somerset man has been jailed for three years for importing drugs into the UK. Robert Lane was sentenced at Taunton Crown Court after pleading guilty to offences relating to cocaine and cannabis. He was caught when Border Foe officials intercepted a parcel addressed to his home in Somerset containing an estimated five-thousand pounds worth of cannabis.

Yeovil-based Screwfix has bought a business out of administration saving 400 jobs. Connect Distribution Services in Birmingham which retails homewares and accessories was facing closure. The buyout, worth three million pounds, will see Screwfix, which is part of the same retail group as B&Q, operating Connect Distribution Services as a going concern, acquiring its e-commerce platforms, stock, intellectual property and product data.

A Somerset man has been chosen to feature in a new fundraising campaign for guide dogs. Appearing on social media, In the campaign on social media, Alex Gosney is seen asking the public to donate generously so that more guide dogs can be trained.

An empty building in Chard, earmarked for demolition, won’t now be knocked down. The former ACI building off Silver Street next to the new Chard Leisure complex has been given a reprieve pending further enquiries into how it might be given a new purpose.

Roads across Yeovil will be closed on Sunday for the Yeovil Half Marathon. The roads affected include Addlewell Lane, South Street, Park Street, Brunswick Street, Hendford, Silver Street, Middle Street and Market Street. Sherborne Road up to Pen Mill Hotel will also be closed. The race starts in South Street outside the library and makes its way to Montecute House before the runners return to the finish line in the Quedam Shopping Centre.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

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.
Wednesday 30th April

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.
Tuesday 29th April

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.
Monday 28th April

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.
Friday 25th April

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
Thursday 24th April

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.
Wednesday 23rd April

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.
Tuesday 22nd April

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.