Local News Tuesday 14th June

Tuesday, 14 June 2022 at 06:00

Pharmacies in Chard could be told to open on Sundays to provide better access for patients. The government’s new food strategy for England has been given a cautious welcome by a local farmer. Figures from the Health and Safety Executive show eight people died on farms in the South West in 2020. The NSPCC is calling for more early prevention to tackle a rise in cases of child cruelty and neglect...and more.

Pharmacies in Chard could be told to open on Sundays to provide better access for patients. Somerset County Council’s health and wellbeing board has put together an assessment of how well local pharmacies are performing, including a review of their opening hours. The assessment has raised concerns that Chard’s three pharmacies do not open on Sundays, which is limiting patient access to medication prescribed by GPs.

The government’s new food strategy for England has been given a cautious welcome by a local farmer. The strategy puts greater emphasis on homegrown produce and offers more support to farmers. Chris Baker, who runs Windmill Farm in Montacute, near Yeovil says the strategy makes good points but doesn’t provide the farming sector with enough certainty.

Figures from the Health and Safety Executive show eight people died on farms in the South West in 2020. Rural insurers, NFU Mutual, are hosting an event in Yeovil next week to raise awareness about safety amongst farmers.

The NSPCC is calling for more early prevention to tackle a rise in cases of child cruelty and neglect. Case numbers rose by a quarter in 2019 across the South West with Somerset recording 160 incidents.

A man from Somerset is preparing to run 50 miles in one day to fundraise for Brain Tumor Research. Tom Palacio is aiming to complete the distance in less than 12 hours. Tom’s taking on the challenge in memory of his friend, James, who died from a brain tumor in 2015.

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Thursday 12th November

Somerset’s gritters are on standby as temperatures fall below freezing in parts of the county. A major restoration project at Montacute House near Yeovil is nearing completion. Two pubs in our area have been named among the UK's top 100 in the latest Good Food Guide rankings... and more
Wednesday 11th November

Two-thirds of police officers at Avon and Somerset Police say they're often too fatigued to carry out their duties. A local councillor is calling for more female-only accommodation to be provided to help end rough sleeping. Somerset’s motorway service stations have been ranked among some of the worst in the country... and more
Tuesday 10th November

Somerset’s housing target could be cut by almost 15,000 homes. More than half a million pounds in Arts Council funding to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre has been handed back. People in Somerset with type 2 diabetes are being invited to join a new research study... and more
Monday 9th November

Facial recognition cameras are to be used by police in Somerset for the first time. Badger culling against bovine TB has officially ended in Somerset. The 5-star Summer Lodge Hotel in Evershot has a new owner...and more
Friday 6th November

Up to 70 jobs could go at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Police are investigating a fire at the former Pittard factory in Yeovil. Families on low incomes are being offered tickets at just £3 to this year’s Yeovil pantomime...and more
Thursday 5th November

South West Water says reservoir levels in Somerset are starting to recover after recent heavy rainfall. Castle Cary railway station is to get a new footbridge. A young dancer from Martock has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet... and more
Wednesday 4th November

People in Somerset will go to the polls in May 2028 to elect a new mayor for the Wessex region. A Somerset farmer who failed a breath test after being caught asleep at the wheel of his tractor has narrowly avoided losing his driving licence. The new Ham Hill Visitor Centre has been named a regional winner in the Building Excellence Awards 2026... and more
tuesday 3rd November

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to improve its planning enforcement team. Drivers are being advised that work to replace the central barrier on the M5 near Wellington starts this week. A health food shop in Chard has been crowned High Street Shop of the Year... and more