Local News Tuesday 23rd August

Tuesday, 23 August 2022 at 06:00

Rising energy prices and the cost of living are taking their toll on pubs in the Southwest. A pub in Chard that has been vacant for more than a decade is likely to remain unoccupied for longer. A Chard man has been banned from driving for a year after failing a drugs test while in charge of a motor vehicle. Items of equestrian equipment have been stolen from a stable block at Kingsbury Episcope near Langport...and more.

Rising energy prices and the cost of living are taking their toll on pubs in the Southwest. The British Institute of Innkeepers says 400 pubs in the region closed in the last twelve months. They claim only 37 percent of hospitality businesses are currently making a profit. The government says to help the sector, the support it gives to businesses that use a lot of energy has been doubled, and employer national insurance contributions have been cut.

A pub in Chard that has been vacant for more than a decade is likely to remain unoccupied for longer. The Furnham Inn, on Furnham Road, closed in 2013 with no interest shown in buying the building to run as a pub. The owners of the Grade-2 listed property had applied to change its use to residential, but planners at South Somerset District Council turned down the application saying it failed to meet the legal requirements for converting listed buildings.

A Chard man has been banned from driving for a year after failing a drug test while in charge of a motor vehicle. Vincent Collision was caught driving in Crowshute Link in Chard in February when the proportion of cannabis in his blood exceeded the specified limit. Collision of Combe Street in Chard pleaded guilty to the offence and was also fined £450 with costs when he appeared in court in Yeovil.

Items of equestrian equipment have been stolen from a stable block at Kingsbury Episcope near Langport. Police say thieves broke into the site in the early hours of last Saturday. Two show saddles, four dressage saddles, three show jumping saddles and 15 bridles were taken. Officers from the South Somerset Neighbourhood Policing team are investigating.

A Chard man is planning to mark his 92nd birthday by flying 100 meters in the air on a zip wire for charity. Don Raddon will be raising money for the Filo Project which supports people with dementia when he makes the attempt at the Eden Project at the end of August.

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Thursday 29th October

A Yeovil man has been detained under the Mental Health Act for attacking his mother with a knife. People in Chard are being reminded that it’s unlawful to attach flags to lamp posts and street furniture. Wincanton Racecourse has called off its 'Badger Chase Day' because the ground is too firm... and more
Wednesday 28th October

Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it is closing with immediate effect. NHS Somerset could merge with neighbours in Bath and North-East Somerset and Dorset to cut costs. Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant has launched a campaign to get more people nominated for national honours... and more
Tuesday 27th October

Work has started building a new six-million-pound flood defence scheme in Taunton. Plans have been submitted to build a new church hall in Martock. People are being asked to donate gifts to this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal... and more
Monday 26th October

Eligible groups in Somerset are being encouraged to get their flu jabs. There’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look inside Avon & Somerset Police’s control room. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP, has visited Yeovil... and more.
Friday 23rd October

Somerset is the 11th most challenging place in England to be a child according to a report. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire could have its own elected ‘Wessex Mayor’ by 2028. Cricketer, Ian Botham returns to the county this weekend... and more.
Thursday 22nd October

The NFU says that testing for the virus Bluetongue needs to be sped up. Construction of new flats on Yeovil’s Grimsby Corner site will officially begin next year. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind tomorrow... and more.
Wednesday 21st October

The owner of campsite in Somerset says a two-thousand-seven-hundred percent increase in business rates will be 'catastrophic' for his business. Plans to build nearly 300 new homes on the outskirts of Chard have been given the go ahead. Yeovil Town are through to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Leatherhead 5-2 at Huish Park last night... and more