Local News Thursday 5th January

Thursday, 5 January 2023 06:00

A delay has been announced to the plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton. South Somerset District Council has given the go-ahead for thirty low-cost homes to be built in South Petherton. A five-year plan is being drawn up for the future of the arts scene in Somerset. The New Year has got off to a good start for Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil with the company winning a multi-million-pound order with Canada to upgrade search and rescue helicopters...and more.

A delay has been announced to the plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton. National Highways says it’s to allow more time to assess the environmental impact of widening the road. National Highways had been due to apply for a Development Consent Order on the project before Christmas but now says this won’t happen until later in the year.

South Somerset District Council has given the go-ahead for thirty low-cost homes to be built in South Petherton. The development of one-bed flats and two and three-bed houses will be sited on land at Flax Court. SSDC is also being asked to give planning consent to build 40 homes on Silver Street and 18 homes on Lampreys Lane in South Petherton.

A five-year plan is being drawn up for the future of the arts scene in Somerset. Local councils are working on the project, aimed at better promotion of the arts as well as creating new job opportunities in the arts.

The New Year has got off to a good start for Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil with the company winning a multi-million-pound order with Canada to upgrade search and rescue helicopters. The contract, worth £608 million pounds, will see the systems of sixteen Canadian AW101 Cormorants up-graded, extending the life expectancy of the aircraft by further 20 years.

Plans have been submitted to convert the rear part of Chard's former HSBC bank building into a residential dwelling. HSBC closed its Chard branch three years ago and, currently, the building stands unoccupied.

Crewkerne Town Council says it may have to permanently close the public toilets in Falkland Square in the town following repeated acts of anti-social behavior. Police are asking anyone who witnesses the toilets being misused to inform the Town Council or call the police non-emergency number 101.

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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
Wednesday 3rd June

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