Yeovil has been officially re-branded as the ‘Home of British Helicopters’. More spending cuts are on the way at Somerset Council. A shopkeeper in Bruton is questioning a ‘no entry’ sign. The four-time holder of the World’s Strongest Man title is in Chard this weekend...and more.
Yeovil has been officially re-branded as the ‘Home of British Helicopters’. The slogan will be seen on road signs leading into the town and on all promotional material about Yeovil. The campaign has been funded by Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil.
More spending cuts are on the way at Somerset Council. The unitary authority took responsibility for providing all council services in Somerset in April following the closure of the County Council and four district councils – including South Somerset. They’ve already identified savings of forty-point-eight million pounds for next year but say further cuts are needed of up to fifty million to balance the books. Deputy Leader, Liz Leyshon says the financial benefits of combining the five former councils into the unitary council will take time to show through.
A shopkeeper in Bruton is questioning why a ‘no entry’ sign has been placed in the middle of the pavement on the High Street in Bruton. Shoppers say it’s difficult to navigate around the sign, especially for people in wheelchairs and those with prams. Simon, the local butcher on the High Street, has started a campaign to have the sign moved elsewhere.
A former World’s Strongest Man title holder is in Chard this weekend. Magnús Ver Magnússon is considered one of the greatest strongmen of all time having won the World’s Strongest Man competition four times, in 1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996. He’s visiting Chard to judge the British Disabled Strongman and Strongwoman Competition 2023 which is being held at Holyrood Academy this coming Saturday and Sunday.
The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more