Members of Yeovil Town Council meet tonight to vote on taking over a host of local services that Somerset Council says it can no longer afford to provide. Yeovil’s e-scooter trial is being temporarily halted. A new cafe is soon to open for people who worked at the Morlands sheepskin factory in Glastonbury to share memories...and more.
Members of Yeovil Town Council meet tonight to vote on taking over a host of local services that Somerset Council says it can no longer afford to provide. If agreed, the Town Council will assume the management, staffing and funding responsibilities for Yeovil Recreation Centre and Café, Yeovil Country Park and Nine Springs Café, Westlands Entertainment Venue and South Somerset Heritage Collection. Meanwhile, Somerset Council is writing to the new Labour government asking for the financial problems in local government to be given priority. Council Leader, Bill Revans says the Lib Dem-controlled authority is selling assets and carrying out a staffing restructure to help cut costs. But Councillor Revans says what’s also needed is for the new government to formulate a new business model for local government, to protect vital services like adult social care and children’s services.
Yeovil’s e-scooter trial is being temporarily halted, with immediate effect. Operators, Zipp Mobility, says it’s due to an unexpected supplier issue. E-scooters will be removed in Yeovil while the service is suspended. The trial is not due to end until May 2026.
Shepton Mallet prison has been presented with a Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Award. The jail, which closed in 2013 and now operates as a tourist attraction was given a perfect 5.0 score in 3200 reviews on Tripadvisor.
A new cafe will launch later this year for people who worked at the Morlands sheepskin factory in Glastonbury to share memories. The café at the Redbrick building in Glastonbury will be held next to where the Morlands factory once operated.
Four owlets have been named in a public vote run by the Somerset Wildlife Trust. They were born in an owl nesting box on the Blackdown Hills.
Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more
An organisation that investigates loan sharks has opened a branch in Taunton. Free parking on Sundays in Somerset's main towns could end just before Christmas. Local communities in and around Draycott will be able to take advantage of a shuttle bus service... and more.
A 21 mile stretch of the M5 is to be given a 50mph speed limit for three years. Chard remains a safe place to work, live and visit say Avon & Somerset Police. Sunflowers of Somerset is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a photography competition and community activities... and more.
Two people have been arrested and released under investigation after the death of a baby in Crewkerne. A large sand picture of the prime minister has appeared in Burnham On Sea. The wet winter and hot summer means cider producers are struggling with their yields... and more.
Fire crews have been dealing with a fire in Ilchester which broke out yesterday afternoon. Somerset’s frontline health services say heatwaves and tourism are making their jobs more difficult. A Chard health store has been named Natural Lifestyle Retailer of the Year.. and more.
The Chair of the NFU has repeated calls for a longer-term plan to tackle bluetongue, Three men have been jailed for their involvement in car key burglaries in Somerset. Police say they’re treating a fire in Norton Fitzwarren as suspicious... and more.
Adam Dance MP has added his voice to those criticising this week’s Channel 4 documentary on ADHD. Visitors can now explore more of Ham Hill with a new off-road mobility scooter hiring scheme. Young people are being encouraged to join the Ilminster Carnival children’s procession... and more.