Local News Wednesday 22nd June

Tuesday, 21 June 2022 23:10

Traffic queuing for Glastonbury in previous years

With the gates opening today at Glastonbury Festival, motorists planning to travel near to Pilton are being advised to leave plenty of time to complete their journeys. Rising fuel prices are putting charities like the Yeovil-based Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service under pressure. A farm safety event has been held in Yeovil to encourage local farmers to take matters of Healthy and Safety more seriously. A new report is soon to be published on building a new relief road on the eastern side of Chard and a former Yeovil Town footballer has had his dream fulfilled of playing for England.

With the gates opening today at Glastonbury Festival, motorists planning to travel near to Pilton are being advised to leave plenty of time to complete their journeys. Up to 200,000 revellers are due to arrive at Worthy Farm between today and Friday. Many festival-goers are unable to travel by train due to around half of trains being cancelled to Castle Cary by the rail strike and local roads around Pilton are expected to be even more congested than usual.

Meanwhile, the westbound carriageway on the A303 between Ilchester and the Cartgate roundabout will be closed from 8 pm this evening to 6 am tomorrow morning for resurfacing work to be carried out. The road will shut again tomorrow evening. During the closure, a diversion will operate via the A37, A30, and A3088.

Rising fuel prices are putting charities like the Yeovil-based Freewheelers Emergency Voluntary Service under pressure. Yeovil Freewheelersdelivers blood by motorbike across Somerset and the South West, and estimates that its fuel costs have gone up by a quarter in the past two months.

A farm safety event has been held in Yeovil to encourage local farmers to take matters of Healthy and Safety more seriously. The event was arranged by insurers, NFU Mutual, and the Farm Safety Foundation, and follows a rise in fatalities on farms in the South West.

A new report is soon to be published on building a new relief road on the eastern side of Chard. The Chard Eastern Relief Road is seen as crucial to complementing new homes to the south and east of the town. If it goes ahead, the road would begin at a new roundabout on the A358 and cross the B3162 Forton Road to the east of the existing houses. It would then move north around the back of the Lordleaze Hotel, skirting the edge of the current employment units at Millfield, and joining up with the A30 to the east of a new Numatic facility.

A former Yeovil Town footballer has had his dream fulfilled of playing for England at the age of 80. Rex Buttle twisted his vertebrae playing for the Glovers in 1959 and was told by doctors that he would never play football again. Rex has just won his first England cap in a 1-1 draw against Wales as a member of England's Over 75’s Walking Football team.

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Friday 12th September

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Thursday 11th September

A bill put forward by Yeovil MP Adam Dance, calling for better awareness of pupil neurodivergent behaviour in schools, has passed its first reading in the Commons. Around 40 thousand people in Somerset could have undiagnosed high blood pressure. Dozens of bikers will take to the roads in Somerset this weekend in support of a breast cancer charity...and more
Wednesday 10th September

Yeovil Town Football Club has been given a two-year extension to buy back Huish Park from Somerset Council. A takeaway business in Bridgwater has been stripped of its licence after three employees were discovered working there illegally. A company in South Chard has been celebrating its 200th anniversary...and more
Tuesday 9th September

People are being asked to comment on proposals to introduce Sunday charges at Somerset Council-run car parks. A Pilton man has been jailed after cannabis valued at £28,500 was found at his home. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has started an appeal to raise £1 million...and more.
Monday 8th September

Farmers in Somerset will be driving their tractors to protest at Labour’s annual Party Conference in Liverpool later this month. A Somerset animal rescue centre says it’s dealing with a surge in the number of large dog breeds being surrendered or rehomed. The George Inn in Ilminster has announced that it will be reopening to customers on Monday, September 15th...and more
Friday 5th September

A large water leak in Yeovil closed part of Middle Street last night whilst repairs took place. A Somerset MP has been voicing his concerns over warnings of future flood dangers in the county. The Wincanton branch of Lidl could be demolished to be replaced with a bigger store...and more.
Thursday 4th September

A new leisure complex on the edge of Yeovil will be built, after plans were approved by Somerset Council. Landmarks across the south-west will be illuminated from Monday to mark Air Ambulance Week. YAOS are hoping to trace passengers stranded at Gander Airport in Newfoundland after the 9/11 attacks...and more.