Local News Tuesday 14th September

    The first families to be resettled in Somerset from Afghanistan are due to arrive in the County in about a month from now. he date of Monday, September 20th has been given for work to start on part-pedestrianising Westminster Street in Yeovil town centre. Garden waste collections have resumed across Somerset. Applications for secondary school places in Somerset for 2022 have opened. Families of young people with learning disabilities in Somerset are being invited to apply for funding...and more.

    The first families to be resettled in Somerset from Afghanistan are due to arrive in the County in about a month from now, according to the County Council. This phase of the government’s ‘Warm Welcome’ programme is aimed at helping translators and others who assisted the UK military during the Afghanistan War. However Somerset County Council says, that currently, they don’t know how many Afghan families will come to live in the County. 

    The date of Monday, September 20th has been given for work to start on part-pedestrianising Westminster Street in Yeovil town centre. The improvements, that are part of Yeovil Refresh, include wider pavement areas, new street furniture, and improved street lighting. The scheme in Westminster Street, which is a year behind schedule, is expected to take nine months to complete.

    Garden waste collections have resumed across Somerset. Somerset Waste Partnership suspended the service for 6 weeks due to staff shortages caused by Covid. Collections will be made on the usual day.

    A Chard motorist has been fined £226 for driving at 96 mph in a 70 mph zone on the A303 near Wincanton. Wayne Thomas Lewis of Crowshute in Chard pleaded guilty to the charge and also had four penalty points put on his licence.

    Applications for secondary school places in Somerset for 2022 have opened. Parents and carers ar being urged to apply for primary and secondary school places online through the County Council website. Applications for Secondary schools close on the 31st of October and primary schools close on the 15th of January.

    Families of young people with learning disabilities in Somerset are being invited to apply for funding to take part in therapy sessions with horses. The grants are being offered through the Somerset Community Foundation. Its Chief Executive, Justin Sargeant, says animal therapy can make a real difference. 

    More from News

    • Thursday 20th November

      Taunton Town Council has agreed to provide funding for five years to support the town's Brewhouse Theatre. The Environment Agency is warning that Somerset could experience a drought next spring if this winter is drier than usual. We’re being asked to look out for rough sleepers during the current cold snap...and more

    • Wednesday 19th November 

      Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for stronger preventative measures to stop sewage discharges into local waterways. Somerset Council is to provide three new children's homes across the County. Street Football Club has appointed a father-and-son team to manage the club... and more.

    • Tuesday 18th November

      Somerset Council has set up a task force to help identify land for a permanent traveller’s site in the county. Police are appealing for information after a charity shop in Martock was targeted by burglars. A Somerset woman is seeking individuals with a connection to the armed forces to join a new amateur rowing club...and more.

    • Monday 17th November

      Workers belonging to the Unite union at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil are threatening further strike action. Dunelm says its Yeovil store in the Quedam will reopen on Tuesday, December 16th. A nurse working at Yeovil Hospital has won a place in the final of Miss England...and more.

    • Friday 14th November

      Yeovil Hospital has introduced a new system for handling patients at its A&E department aimed at cutting waiting times. It’s claimed that an Iron Age settlement preserved under Somerset's wetlands for 2,000 years is facing erosion due to climate change. Montacute Road in Tintinhull will be closed for five days next week for repairs to a gas main.

    • Thursday 13th November

      Workers at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil are taking part in a second day of strike action in their dispute over pay. Lloyds Bank has closed its branch in Chard permanently. A week-long programme of tree planting will be held at Ham Hill later this month to mark National Tree Week...and more

    • Wednesday 12th November

      Workers belonging to the Unite union at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil begin a two-day strike today. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, has been speaking in a parliamentary debate on improving dyslexia support in schools. South Western Ambulance Service is inviting applications for positions on its governing council...and more

    • Tuesday 11th November

      Somerset residents are being urged to get a flu jab as cases of flu continue to rise. Seven horse saddles have been stolen in a break-in at a riding school in Queen Camel. Donations of children’s toys are needed for this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal...and more

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny

      High: 6°C | Low: -2°C

    • Chard

      Sunny

      High: 7°C | Low: -2°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny

      High: 7°C | Low: -2°C

    • Somerton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 6°C | Low: -1°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny

      High: 6°C | Low: -2°C