Local News Wednesday 16th August

Wednesday, 16 August 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Two people have been charged in connection with a burglary at a school in Yeovil. Somerset Council's facing a legal challenge over plans to build new houses in Chilthorne Domer. The Somerset charity Re-Engage is appealing for volunteers. A Somerset winemaker says 2023 could be a vintage year for local producers...and more.

Two people have been charged in connection with a burglary at a school in Yeovil. Tyler Singer, aged 21, of Shepton Mallet, faces a charge of non-dwelling burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and driving without insurance. Grace Brownhill, aged 18, also from Shepton Mallet, faces a charge of non-dwelling burglary and being a passenger in a stolen vehicle. The charges relate to a break-in at Westfield Academy School in Yeovil on Sunday, June 11th.

Somerset Council is facing a legal challenge over a delay in deciding a planning application. Developers, Land Allocation Ltd applied to build seventy-three new homes in Chilthorne Domer in August 2020 but neither South Somerset District Council nor its successor Somerset Council has yet made a decision on the application. Land Allocation Ltd has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination, meaning Somerset Council has failed to come to a decision in a reasonable period.

A Somerset teacher says schools should be encouraging more pupils to take up music. Data shows a twelve per cent decline in the take up of music in schools last year. The appeal comes from Nicola Thompson, a Senior Teacher at Somerset Music, which is part of Somerset Council's Support Services for Education.

The Somerset charity Re-Engage is appealing for volunteers to become phone companions for older people. According to Office of National Statistics data, there are around twenty-five thousand people aged sixty and over living alone in Somerset, desperate for companionship.

Somerset winemakers say it could be an exceptional year for grapes with production at record levels. Guy Smith from the Smith and Evans Vineyard near Langport says the mixed summer weather has not affected his crops but is hoping for a dry September.

Green Flags have been awarded to three council-run open spaces in South Somerset. The scheme gives green flag status to public spaces with high environmental standards. In the latest round of awards, Green Flags were given to Yeovil Country Park, Ham Hill Country Park, and Chard Reservoir Nature Reserve.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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