Local News Wednesday 4th January

Wednesday, 4 January 2023 06:00

Councillors at South Somerset District Council meet tomorrow to decide on providing further funding to the Yeovil Refresh Project. A unit in Crewkerne for children who struggle with mainstream schooling is being praised for reducing school exclusions. A Somerton man’s been jailed for two years for attacking his wife with a knife. NFU Mutual in Yeovil has made a donation of £6,000 to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Sherborne Golf Club has been given planning permission to extend its clubhouse...and more.

Councillors at South Somerset District Council meet tomorrow to decide on providing further funding to the Yeovil Refresh Project. Yeovil Refresh, aimed at improving the look of Yeovil town centre, is already £4 million over budget with two years of work still to be completed. Now, councillors are being asked to provide a further £2 million to cover unplanned works, pushing up the budget for the project to £24.1 million.

A unit in Crewkerne for children who struggle with mainstream schooling is being praised for reducing school exclusions. The Apex Centre uses therapy techniques like animal therapy, forestry and cooking to teach children. It’s run by the Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust which say exclusions at its seven primary and secondary schools are down by 30%.

A Somerton man’s been jailed for two years for attacking his wife with a knife. Paul Green of Pearmain Road pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm when he appeared at Taunton Crown Court.

A Bruton man has been recognized in the New Year's Honours. John Bishton has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the preservation of historic buildings in Bruton.

NFU Mutual in Yeovil has made a donation of £6,000 to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The money will go towards the two million pounds the air ambulance needs to raise every year to keep its helicopter flying.

Sherborne Golf Club has been given planning permission to extend its clubhouse. The club says the single-storey flat roof extension will allow it to provide a new function room and extend the patio area.

New homes for birds and bats have been provided at Yeovil Recreational Centre. Staff at the centre off Mudford Road have built bird and bat nesting boxes using recycled pallet boxes and positioned them around the site to encourage more birds and bats to nest in the area.

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Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.