Monday 13th May

Monday, 13 May 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Health inspectors have criticised Somerset's maternity services, including those at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council says re-opening Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in its original form could cost up to £200,000 if a multi-million-pound upgrade of the building falls through. A film made by a Yeovil man on a budget of just five thousand pounds was screened at the prestigious British Independent Film Festival...and more.

Health inspectors have criticised Somerset's maternity services for having too few staff and not enough equipment to look after mothers and their newborn babies. The Care Quality Commission carried out inspections at three Somerset hospitals in November 2023, rating Yeovil Hospital’s maternity services as 'inadequate'. The Yeovil unit was found to have inadequate infection controls, and not always enough medical staff to keep people safe. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust says improvements have been made since the inspections were carried out, and that further enhancements are being made.

Somerset Council says re-opening Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in its original form could cost up to £200,000 if a multi-million-pound building upgrade falls through. The Council plans to spend £15 million improving the auditorium, revamping the front-of-house and catering facilities, introducing better dressing rooms, and building a fly tower to expand the range of productions staged at the Octagon. However, the work depends on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport agreeing to a grant of £10 million being spent on the scaled-down project. Yeovil Town Council are in talks to take over the running of the Octagon Theatre and will give £3.75 million to the project, with the remaining £1.25 million sourced from external grants.

A woman has been charged with murder following the death of a man in Baltonsborough, near Glastonbury. Christine Kekkonen, aged 36, of Dunford Terrace, was arrested last Thursday. The victim has been named as 41-year-old Henri Kekkonen.

The enquiry office at Chard Police Station will temporarily close at the end of the month for improvements to be carried out to the building. The refurbishments include installing new windows, doors and roofing, solar panels, an air source heat pump, and two EV charging points. Avon and Somerset Police say while the Chard office is closed, people needing help should use Yeovil or Taunton police stations.

A film made by a Yeovil man on a budget of just five thousand pounds has been screened at the British Museum in London. ‘Blue’ tells the story of a father and son struggling to make a living from fishing. The film made by David Smith, a lecturer in the media department at Yeovil College was shown as part of the prestigious British Independent Film Festival held at the weekend.

More from News

Friday 9th May

The trust that runs the Somerset ambulance service has confirmed that up to forty jobs are at risk. Chinnock Hollow, near Yeovil, has been subjected to a permanent road closure. Police are appealing for witnesses to an incident where a defibrillator was vandalised in Ilminster. Somerset wicket-keeper James Rew has been drafted into the England Test squad to play Zimbabwe...and more
Thursday 8th May

Somerset Council says it's dealing with up to 800 reports of potholes on the County's roads every week. Events are taking place across our area today to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. Sixteen doctors’ surgeries in Somerset, including four in South Somerset, are set to expand. A Martock man hopes to set a world record by jumping off the world's fourth-tallest mountain in a wingsuit...and more.
Wednesday 7th May

The Interim Chairman of Yeovil Town, Stuart Robins, says the club is close to finding a new owner. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is examining an incident in which a volunteer was struck by a wagon at the Gartell Light Railway centre near Templecombe. An Ilminster man has been charged with fox hunting. Councillor Tony Lock has been sworn in as the new Mayor of Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 6th May

A Somerset man is urging people with multiple sclerosis to be more open with friends and family about the disease. A week of events is underway in Somerset to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. Plans have been submitted to carry out major improvements to Dillington House near Ilminster...and more.
Friday 2nd May

Somerset Council has written to the government calling for urgent action to tackle the worsening situation of access to NHS dentistry in the county. The Mayor of Yeovil is urging people to join in with next week's celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. A Somerset father, whose daughter died suddenly aged 15 months, is starting a month of running 5k a day in her memory... and more.
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.