Local News Tuesday 27th July

Tuesday, 27 July 2021 06:00

Avon and Somerset police are launching a summer crackdown, to catch speeding drivers. Great Western Railway, who run trains through Castle Cary, is operating a reduced timetable. There are fears Chard could be hit by further serious flooding. The Government is being asked to intervene to get house building moving in Somerset...and more.

Avon and Somerset police are launching a summer crackdown, working with community volunteers, to catch speeding drivers. Chief inspector Jason Shears says speed is a key factor in most accidents and is asking drivers to slow down.

Great Western Railway, who run trains through Castle Cary, is operating a reduced timetable due to large numbers of staff self-isolating. GWR’s James Davis says a number of services will not be running as normal this week.

If you’ve missed a recycling collection, your next pick-up will be next week. Somerset Waste Partnership says due to large numbers of staff self-isolating, they can’t return for missed collections within the two days they promise. SWP says the problem is likely to continue well into next month.

There are fears Chard could be hit by further serious flooding. Local Mayor, Jason Baker, believes the major flood in Chard earlier in the month was caused by blocked drains. Parts of the town were again left under water at the weekend. Councilor Baker is calling for a full survey of all the drains in Chard and, where necessary, carry out urgent repairs.

The Government is being asked to intervene to get house building moving in Somerset. Applications to build 11,000 new homes are currently on hold due to fears about high levels of phosphate entering the Somerset Levels. Natural England has told councils that a Habitat Regulation Assessment has to be applied to new housing applications before the plans are determined. Councils say the assessments are taking them longer than expected to carry out.

A farm in Bruton is taking part in a pioneering ear tagging trial. Godminster Farm attaches software to a cow’s ear that sends a text to the farmer saying how the cow is doing. The project has helped Godminster Farm win the title of UK Best Organic Farm.

More from News

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