Local News Thursday 30th September

Thursday, 30 September 2021 06:00

Yeovil Hospital failed to meet government targets on cancer treatment over a two-year period, according to figures from Cancer Research UK. National Highways says the A303 at Marsh on the Somerset/Devon border will not be upgraded if plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and the M5 are approved. Three areas of Wincanton could see big improvements in the New Year. A Merriot man has embarked on running 52 half marathons to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.

Yeovil Hospital failed to meet government targets on cancer treatment over a two-year period, according to figures from Cancer Research UK. The charity says NHS policy states that 85% of cancer patients urgently referred by a GP should start treatment within 62 days. However, between April 2019 and July this year, Yeovil Hospital missed the target. Cancer Research UK says a radical reform of screening and diagnostic services is needed, backed up by longer-term investment. The Department of Health and Social Care says its providing record investment in the NHS, including an additional £9 billion for elective and cancer care.

National Highways says the A303 at Marsh on the Somerset/Devon border will not be upgraded if plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and the M5 are approved. Meanwhile, Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says he’s continuing to lobby the government to dual the A303 Ilminster bypass, as part of the next roads investment strategy from 2025.

Three areas of Wincanton could see big improvements in the New Year. As part of plans to regenerate the town, South Somerset District Council say work will begin early in 2022 on improving Carrington Way, High Street and Market Place. In Carrington Way, a road crossing will be created with a planted areas introduced in front of the library. The scheme will also see the junction with High Street enhanced through wider pavements. On the High Street, pavements will be widened and two new on-street parking bays introduced. In Market Place, safer road crossing points will be created, along with new-planted areas and improvements to existing historic buildings.

A Merriot man has embarked on running 52 half marathons to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. Carl Hedges is also running 52, 10K’s and 52, 5k’s in memory of his grandfather Kevin Hedges who died of heart failure. Carl aims to complete the challenge by Christmas and will have covered the equivalent distance from London to Rome.

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Friday 12th June

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
Thursday 11th June

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
Wednesday 10th June

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
Tuesday 9th June

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
Monday 8th June

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.
Friday 5th June

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
Thursday 4th June

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