Local News Tuesday 19th July

Tuesday, 19 July 2022 06:00

An amber weather alert for extreme temperatures is in place across Somerset again today. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to multiple offences. Plans have been submitted to build one-hundred-and-twenty new homes on the outskirts of Keinton Mandeville. Up to seventeen so-called local community networks could be established across Somerset as part of the new Somerset unitary council. An empty church building in Yeovil is to be converted into flats...and more.

An amber weather alert for extreme temperatures is in place across Somerset again today. Road gritters are being used to treat roads with reports of tarmac surfaces melting in the record temperatures. Speed restrictions are in place again across the rail network. Some services have been cancelled as temperatures rise above what train lines are designed to cope with. The RSPCA is reminding dog owners not to take their pets out for walks in the heat.

A Yeovil man has been jailed for 12 years after pleading guilty to multiple offences including sexual offences against children. 63-year-old Michael Sellings, of Horsey Lane pleaded guilty to 12 offences, which took place between November 2016 and June 2021.

Plans have been submitted to build one-hundred-and-twenty new homes on the outskirts of Keinton Mandeville. Land for the development has been earmarked south of the B315 between Keinton Mandeville and Somerton. The sites comprise three fields, ending near the village hall and the Lakeview housing development.

Up to seventeen so-called local community networks could be established across Somerset as part of the new Somerset unitary council. It’s believed the LCN’s will include representatives of parish and town councils, police and fire service, community groups, and perhaps members of the public. A pilot LCN for South East Somerset is currently running.

An empty church building in Yeovil is to be converted into flats. The former Elim Church on Larkhill Road will be turned into four living spaces after South Somerset District Council granted planning permission and a change of use on the building.

Repair or reuse old items instead of replacing them. That's the message from Somerset Waste Partnership as it hosts a series of events across Somerset as part of Reuse Week. It says people should try to think about reusing items before putting them in recycling bins.

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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