Local News Wednesday 23rd February

Wednesday, 23 February 2022 06:00

Yeovil’s new I-Aero building has been officially opened by the town’s MP Marcus Fysh. Council taxpayers in South Somerset are to pay more to help run the region’s fire service. Plans to regenerate Wincanton town centre have been cut back. Motorists are being advised that resurfacing work is taking place along Bonfire Lane at Charlton Mackrell all this week. A further £800,000 is being spent to make Yeovil Crematorium fit for purpose...and more.

Yeovil’s new I-Aero building has been officially opened by the town’s MP Marcus Fysh. I-Aero, off Bunford Lane, is described as ‘a centre of excellence’ representing companies within the South West aerospace sector.

Council taxpayers in South Somerset are to pay more to help run the region’s fire service. It follows Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority’s decision to increase its share of the council tax by 2 percent from April. The authority’s budget for 2022-23 has now been set at £77.3 million.

Plans to regenerate Wincanton town centre have been cut back. South Somerset District Council had allocated £5.7 million to smarten up the High Street, including taking a stake in redeveloping the White Horse pub. But since the budget was agreed, the building has been sold to a developer. As a result, the District Council has reduced the budget to regenerate Wincanton by £3.3 million, a cut of nearly 60 per cent.

Motorists are being advised that resurfacing work is taking place along Bonfire Lane at Charlton Mackrell all this week. And, that a new footway will be installed on Station Road in Castle Cary on Friday this week.

A further £800,000 is being spent to make Yeovil Crematorium fit for purpose. The extra cash is on top of the £5.7 million pounds already allocated to upgrade Yeovil Crematorium, with mourners provided with more room, and the building handling more services.

A popular local pub has been put up for sale. The Orchard Inn at Galhampton, near Castle Cary, with has features that date back more than two hundred years, is advertised with a guide price of £435,000.

Guide Dogs UK is appealing for people in Somerset to help raise puppies. You'll need to be able to attend puppy classes, familiarise your dog with different environments, and teach commands. A small interview/vetting process will also follow an application.

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