Unmarked police vans will be in use across the Avon and Somerset force area this week aimed at catching persistent speeding motorists. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, says progress is being made on a potential order for Leonardo to build a new medium-lift helicopter for the RAF. Chard ladies rugby team members have raised £5,300 by completing the Three Peaks Challenge...and more.
Unmarked police vans will be in use across the Avon and Somerset force area this week aimed at catching persistent speeding motorists. Equipped with 360-degree cameras and long-range detection, they’ll be spotting offences like speeding, seatbelt violations and illegal mobile phone use.
Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, says progress is being made on a potential order for Leonardo to build a new medium-lift helicopter for the RAF. Following a meeting with the Minister for Defence Procurement, he's had it confirmed that the Leonardo bid is the only one on the table for the £1.3 billion contract. In her written reply, the Minister says Leonardo’s bid is being examined to ensure it represents value for money, and that placing the order will not be delayed by the new Strategic Defence Review.
Members of Chard Ladies rugby team have raised £5,300 by completing the Three Peaks Challenge. In Scotland, they scaled the thirteen hundred meters of Ben Nevis, in Wales the eleven hundred meters of Snowdon, before travelling to the Lake District to climb the one thousand meters of Scafell Pike. The money has been divided equally between Chard Community Hub and Chard Rugby Club.
Organisers of this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal are hoping it will be their most successful for donations ever. They’re asking for donated toys and books suitable for children aged 0 to 16. The items will be given to children who might otherwise not receive any gifts this Christmas. Donations, including cash gifts, can be made through the Forefront Community Centre, South Chard Hub and Chard Community Hub. A spokesperson says donating just one toy will bring a smile to a child's face. The deadline to donate is November 15th.
The Leader of Yeovil Town Council is calling on the public to treat the town centre with more respect. Somerset Waste Partnership is asking householders not put blister packs or, pill packets as they’re called, out for recycling. Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash near Ilminster in which a learner motorcyclist was seriously injured .... and more
Somerset Council says 900 miles of the County’s roads will be gritted on a regular basis this winter. Work will start soon to strengthen Chard Reservoir to protect local communities from flooding. The first advent calendar produced by the charity Mind in Somerset has gone on sale...and more
St Margaret's Hospice says increased employer’s national insurance contributions will cost them an extra £300,000 a year. A man has been arrested after more than 200 cannabis plants were found in a Yeovil property. Voting will take place on November 21st in the Blackmore Vale to fill a vacant seat on Somerset Council...and more
The A303 between Ilchester and Sparkford can now be used as a dual carriageway for the first time. People living in rural parts of South Somerset may not get high-speed broadband until 2027. Plans have been submitted to build 150 new homes on the site of the former Horlicks Factory in Ilminster...and more
Farmers in Somerset are warning of increased food prices and farmers going out of business as a result of last week’s budget. Police have released pictures of items stolen in a raid on Montacute House. A Somerset man has completed the 630-mile-long South West Coast Path, raising money for the RNLI...and more.
Somerset Council is looking at new ways to ease traffic congestion on the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton. Bridgwater and Taunton College and Strode College in Street have announced plans to merge. The Westland Entertainment venue in Yeovil is selling tickets at £3 to make its shows more affordable for low-income families...and more
Yeovil MP Adam Dance is raising new questions about closing the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council Leader Bill Revans says yesterday's Budget failed to address local government's financial challenges. Chard High Street will be closed to traffic this evening for a trick-and-treat event to be held...and more
Somerset Council is facing a seven-and-a-half million-pound overspend on providing children’s services. The South West has one of the highest rates of underage smokers in England. A helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton has gone on permanent display at Portland Marina....and more.