Local News Tuesday 9th March

Tuesday, 9 March 2021 07:30

Somerset County Council says a final decision on changes to the school system in Ilminster and Crewkerne will be made at a meeting on March 17th. Great Western Railway, that run trains through Castle Cary, is increasing services this week. Brympton Parish Council is asking for a reduced speed limit on Thorne Lane in Yeovil....and more.

Somerset County Council says a final decision on changes to the school system in Ilminster and Crewkerne will be made at a meeting on March 17th. The Council plans to scrap the current three-tier school system, comprising infant, middle and upper schools and replace this with a flatter two-tier system of primary and secondary schools. Despite strong opposition from parents, the Council says a two-tier structure is necessary due to falling pupil numbers in the area.

Great Western Railway, that run trains through Castle Cary, is increasing services this week as schools and colleges reopen fully. The timetable was reduced when a third national lockdown was introduced in January but is now back to ‘near normal’.

Brympton Parish Council is asking for a reduced speed limit on Thorne Lane in Yeovil. It claims the road has become more dangerous with increased numbers of people using it for exercise during the pandemic. (Story courtesy of Yeovil Press).

Fresh calls have been made for the government to help resolve an issue that's left plans for more than 11,000 new homes in Somerset on hold. District councils have delayed more than 750 planning applications because of concerns over water pollution on the Somerset Levels and Moors.

An Ilminster couple who next month celebrate 60 years of marriage say the secret to a successful marriage is ‘give and take’ and laughter. John and Norah Robson, of Summerlands Drive, were married on April 1st 1961 and are well known for their work with the Royal British Legion and the Army Cadet Force in Ilminster.

An appeal to build a pre-school facility at Hinton St George Primary School has so far raised £25,000. The building will be constructed using two shipping containers. A further £50,000 in donations is needed for the project. (Story courtesy of Lopen Eye community magazine).

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more