Local News Thursday 9th December

    TSB is closing its Yeovil branch. The bank, on the corner of High Street and King George Street, will shut on April 12th next year. The County Council has blamed a lack of funding at Somerset’s schools for pupil suspension rates being so high. Covid booster jabs are now on offer locally to people in their 40s. Somerset Waste Partnership is claiming success with its ‘Recycle More’ initiative and a shop in Chard has raised £1,000 for the League of Friends at Chard Hospital.

    TSB is closing its Yeovil branch. The bank, on the corner of High Street and King George Street, will shut on April 12th next year. Yeovil is one of seventy TSB branches nationwide that are being closed. TSB says with people banking online, the number of customers visiting their banks has fallen dramatically.

    The County Council has blamed a lack of funding at Somerset’s schools for pupil suspension rates being so high. It follows figures from Ofsted that show pupil suspensions at Somerset’s schools are nearly double the national average. 

    Covid booster jabs are now on offer locally to people in their 40s. The move is aimed at slowing the spread of the Omicron variant and getting as many people as possible vaccinated by the end of January. Meanwhile, a dedicated Covid Helpline in Somerset, set up as a single point of contact at the start of the pandemic, has now taken more than 17,000 calls. The phone number for Somerset Coronavirus Helpline is 0300 790 6275. 

    Somerset Waste Partnership is claiming success with its ‘Recycle More’ initiative. It says that since the launch of the blue bag collection scheme in October last year, 5,600 tonnes of additional waste has been sent for recycling, including 1,000 extra tonnes of plastic.

    A shop in Chard has raised £1,000 for the League of Friends at Chard Hospital. The Original Factory Shop on Great Western Road raised the money through selling charity Christmas cards and hosting a charity bingo night.

    More from News

    • Friday 12th December

      The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting jobs. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to help buy a second helicopter... and more.

    • Thursday 11th December

      A man has appeared in court in connection with an attack in Wincanton. A member of Somerset Council, jailed for 26 months for taking part in a Just Stop Oil protest, may not have to stand down as a councillor. NHS Somerset has announced that changes to stroke services at Yeovil Hospital will "go live" in the spring of next year...and more

    • Wednesday 10th December

      Avon and Somerset Police say 62 drivers were arrested in the first week of the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign. A reindeer farm near Yeovil thinks it may have to close after being told it needs a Zoo licence. Father Christmas has made a special delivery of presents to Charlton Farm Children's Hospice in Somerset...and more

    • Tuesday 9th December

      The Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset has criticised the government for axing the role. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Ilminster in which a woman was seriously injured. Residents of Freedom Avenue in Yeovil are raising funds for charity with a big display of Christmas lights...and more.

    • Monday 8th December

      Plans to build 150 new homes in Ilminster have been scrapped. A Somerset councillor has been jailed for 26 months. Marks & Spencer wants to build a new Food Store in Ilminster. Poundland has announced that it’s shutting its store in Middle Street in Yeovil...and more

    • Friday 5th December

      Police are appealing for witnesses after an assault on a man in Chard. Lloyds Banking Group has announced a date for closing the Halifax in Yeovil. Train journeys on the Castle Cary to Taunton line will be disrupted next week due to engineering work. The mental health charity MIND in Somerset has produced a Christmas advent calendar... and more.

    • Thursday 4th December

      The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says her force is doing all it can to reduce anti-social behaviour. Somerset Council has deferred a decision on introducing Sunday car parking charges. People living in deprived areas in Somerset are being fast-tracked for hospital treatment...and more

    • Wednesday 3rd December

      Fire crews have rescued the driver of a car that got stuck in floodwater near Ilminster. Avon and Somerset Police are urging people going out to celebrate this Christmas to book a taxi or use public transport. A woman from South Petherton has come top at the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships...and more,

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 7°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 6°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 6°C

    • Somerton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 10°C | Low: 6°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 11°C | Low: 6°C

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