Local News Tuesday 21st June

Tuesday, 21 June 2022 06:00

The head of tourism in Somerset says this week’s rail strikes will have a major impact on local tourism. Plans have been submitted to open a new NHS facility for children with autism and learning disabilities in Yeovil. A company that runs public swimming pools in Somerset says it's having difficulty sourcing supplies of chlorine. Farmfest planned to take place in Bruton in late July, has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. A new national charity's been set up in the South West to support retired public service animals...andmore.

The head of tourism in Somerset says this week’s rail strikes will have a major impact on local tourism. The CEO of Visit Somerset, John Turner, says with trains not running and the cost of living crisis, Somerset’s tourism sector is facing a perfect storm.

Plans have been submitted to open a new NHS facility for children with autism and learning disabilities in Yeovil. The Somerset Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service have applied for a change of use on 105a Preston Road from residential to residential mental health. The planning application also includes building a small single-storey garden room extension at the rear of the building and a raised terrace area to the side.

A company that runs public swimming pools in Somerset says it's having difficulty sourcing supplies of chlorine. The problem is a lack of basic ingredients needed to produce chlorine and companies that make chlorine still dealing with a backlog of orders from the pandemic.

Farmfest planned to take place in Bruton in late July, has been cancelled due to poor ticket sales. Organisers of the two-day music event claim tickets haven’t sold well because people are facing big increases in their living costs.

A new national charity's been set up in the South West to support retired public service animals. Former police dog handlers and those who worked with dogs for the Ministry of Defence are being contacted by the newly formed National Federation for Retired Service Animals with a view to animals being given a good retirement.

An exhibition has opened of artwork produced by children at Greenfylde First School in Ilminster. The display showcasing the work of every pupil from pre-school to year four can be viewed at The Meeting House Arts Centre. The school has a separate display running at The Minster in Ilminster. It’s based on the school’s involvement in Sunflowers of Somerset, a community project aimed at encouraging people to grow sunflowers.

More from News

Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more