Local News Tuesday 8th June

Tuesday, June 8th, 2021 7:02am

The result of a poll on changing local government in Somerset has come out strongly against one council to run all services in the county. Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh is calling on the government to stick with the plan to lift all covid restrictions by June 21st. The number of car journeys on Somerset's roads fell to a 17 year low last year with people making fewer journeys because of the pandemic. Bradfords Building Supplies in Yeovil has been voted ‘Builders' Merchant of the Year’ in the National Builders' Merchants Awards...and more.

The result of a poll on changing local government in Somerset has come out strongly against one council to run all services in the county. Under the changes, Somerset’s five existing councils, including the County Council, would be replaced by one council or two councils, one based on the western side of the county, the other on the eastern side. Of the 111,000 people who took part in the poll, the one council option was rejected by more than two-thirds of voters. The result was 34.7 percent in favour of one council and 65.3 percent in support of two councils, the so-called ‘Stronger Somerset’ option. The result’s been sent to the Secretary of State for Local Government, Robert Jenrick, who will make the decision on the future shape of local government in Somerset but he’s said the poll, which was organised by Somerset’s four district councils, will not influence his decision.

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh is calling on the government to stick with the plan to lift all covid restrictions by June 21st. He believes enough people in Somerset have now been vaccinated for a return to normal life. Mr. Fysh says the country should not be held back every time a new covid variant emerges.

The number of car journeys on Somerset's roads fell to a 17 year low last year with people making fewer journeys because of the pandemic. Somerset Green party campaigner, Shane Collins, Is hoping the changes in the way get about over the past 15-months are here to stay.

A Chard woman caught shoplifting on three occasions has been given a one-year conditional discharge. Appearing before local magistrates, Sophie Plyer of Furzehill, Chard, pleaded guilty to stealing items from a shop in Crewkerne for which she was ordered to pay £104 compensation. She also admitted stealing from shops in Chard and in Axminster.

Bradfords Building Supplies in Yeovil has been voted ‘Builders' Merchant of the Year’ in the National Builders' Merchants Awards. It’s the second year in a row that the title has been won by Bradfords, who have 43 branches across the South West with headquarters in Yeovil.

More from News

Local News Monday 21st June

A new police station has opened in Wincanton in a building that was previously a Lloyds Bank. People in the Diocese of Bath and Wells are being asked who they’d like to see as their new Bishop. More people in Somerset are needed to sign up as foster carers. Supermarket chain Aldi has announced plans to open a new store in Chard. There’s been a disappointment for local music fans...and more.
Local News Friday 18th June

A woman from Chilthorne Domer, near Yeovil, has appeared in court to deny killing a man. Police have arrested a driver in connection with a fatal crash on the A303 in South Somerset. People in Chard are being asked to help shape the future of the town centre. Talks are underway about re-opening a Museum of South Somerset in Yeovil. Somerset Waste Partnership, says a shortage of drivers is to blame for households not having their waste picked up on time...and more.
Local News Thursday 17th June

It’s thought the government will announce a decision on the future of local government in Somerset by the end of July. A cheese producer in South Somerset is blaming Brexit for not being able to recruit new staff. A road in South Somerset closed four months ago after a landslide and could remain off-limits until the autumn. Lasagne could be replaced with lentils on school dinner menus in Somerset if a former primary school teacher gets her way.
Local News Wednesday 16th June

Police are investigating an attack on a teenage boy in Martock. Business leaders in Somerset have described the delay in lifting coronavirus restrictions as a 'hammer blow'. The NFU in Somerset has given a cautious welcome to the new trade deal between the UK and Australia. A new report is calling for the introduction of weekend and evening visits for people who receive home care. Staff at Nationwide Building Society in Yeovil are raising funds to buy a defibrillator to locate in Middle Street.
Local News Tuesday 15th June

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has hit out at the government for not delivering on its promise to lift all lockdown restrictions on June 21st. A firm of local house removers says it’s being held back because of a shortage of HGV drivers. Police are asking for help in tracing two springer spaniel dogs stolen in North Cheriton near Templecombe. A house in Compton Dundon near Somerton has been damaged by fire. The clubhouse at South Petherton Bowling Club is in line to be extended.
Local News Monday 14th June

Public Health England has confirmed that four cases of the Indian variant of Covid 19, also known as the Delta variant, have been recorded in South Somerset. Land off the A303 at Wincanton has been earmarked for a new drive-thru café. Police are trying to trace a teenage Vietnamese boy who has gone missing in Martock. The Fleet Air Arm museum at Yeovilton is taking part in a national challenge to mark Armed Forces Day...and more.
Local News Friday 11th June

Yeovil Town Council is to use funds saved by not staging events during the pandemic to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee next year. A campaign’s been launched to have a museum dedicated to the history of Yeovil permanently opened in the town centre. A woman in Chilthorne Domer has pleaded guilty to damaging a glass panel door belonging to Kentucky Fried Chicken. A Martock woman is celebrating 30-years as a volunteer with the Guide Dogs charity...and more.
Local News Thursday 10th June

An urgent call has been made for more people to volunteer as stewards at Covid vaccination sites in South Somerset. Changes are being recommended to the Yeovil Parliamentary constituency. Pubs, farms, and stately homes in South Somerset have joined with a national campaign for a relaxation of the rules on temporary campsites. Organisers of Yeovil Pride plan to hold a march in the town again this summer. A Sherborne man has donated his lifetime collection of postage stamps to charity.