Local News Tuesday 8th November

Tuesday, 8 November 2022 06:00

It’s reported that the awarding of a £1.2 billion contract to supply helicopters to the British government, a contract that Leonardo in Yeovil is hoping to win, has been "delayed". New rules have come into force requiring anyone who keeps birds to house them indoors. The Football Association in Somerset is trialling a new way to support young footballers. A local winner at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is giving a talk to raise funds for Keinton Mandeville Primary...and more.

It’s reported that the awarding of a £1.2 billion contract to supply helicopters to the British government, a contract that Leonardo in Yeovil is hoping to win, has been "delayed". The magazine Flight Global is reporting that the issuing of ‘invitations to negotiate’ for the order has been put back to sometime next year. Leonardo is pitching for the contract with the AW149 to replace the RAF’s ageing fleet of Puma helicopters. It was thought the MOD would announce who’d won the contract in early 2023, with the first of the new helicopters delivered in 2025.

New rules have come into force requiring anyone who keeps birds to house them indoors. The new restrictions are in response to the worsening outbreak of avian flu across the UK. Owners have been told to house birds inside sheds or shelters for the foreseeable future.

The Football Association in Somerset is trialling a new way to support young footballers. It’s asking parents, coaches and friends not to shout at players from pitch side but instead to show their support by clapping.

A local winner at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show is giving a talk to raise funds for Keinton Mandeville Primary. It’s part of a programme of activities to pay for an expansion of a therapeutic garden within the school site. The talk is being given by Adam Hunt of Urquhart and Hunt - a firm of landscape designers based in Bruton.

A woman from Somerton who set herself a zero waste target for this year says she can't understand how some people come to throw away so much rubbish. Gill Hampson has gone almost 10 months without filling her black bin with waste and putting it out for collection. She was aiming to complete 12 months but had to use her black bin after clearing out the contents of her shed and finding lots of extra waste items for disposal.

The winners of this year’s South West in Bloom awards have been announced. Yeovil, Curry Rivel, Crewkerne and Hazelbury Plucknett have each been given Gold awards. Henstridge has been given a Silver award. The South West In Bloom awards are part of National Britain In Bloom awards that aim to encourage communities to improve and diversify their local environments through the creation of open spaces, biodiversity, recycling and the conservation of wildlife.

A new manager has been appointed to run Ilminster Arts Centre. Samantha Miller is taking on the role after previously working in publishing in London before moving to Ilminster to be nearer her family.

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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