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.

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Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more