Monday 27th November

Monday, 27 November 2023 06:00

Plans have been submitted to open a new traveller site near Curry Rivel. Wessex Water has started the latest phase of a five-year programme to clean up Somerset’s watercourses of phosphates. Ilminster’s annual Christmas Tree Festival at the Minster starts today. A man from Somerset is taking on the challenge of rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic...and more.

Plans have been submitted to open a new traveller site near Curry Rivel. The land between Fivehead and Isle Abbot would be used for the scheme. If approved, five traveller pitches, together with spaces for five mobile homes, and five touring caravans, would be introduced at the site.

Wessex Water has started the latest phase of a 5-year programme to clean up Somerset’s watercourses of phosphates. £18 million, raised through water bills, is currently being invested in mitigation schemes in Martock, Crewkerne and Merriot.

NHS Somerset is urging those eligible for a Covid booster to come forward. People aged 65 and over only have until December 15th to get the top-up. NHS Somerset also says they particularly want pregnant women to come forward, as local data shows that many mums-to-be have yet to have a Covid booster.

A man from Somerset is taking on the challenge of rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic. Sam Glover will row from the Canaries to Antigua next month, to raise money for United, a charity that supports and funds social entrepreneurs.

Representatives from Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil have been in New Zealand helping to generate interest in careers in engineering. The team of young ambassadors give presentations in schools and colleges on the engineering roles in the UK, alongside practical activities, one of which was to suggest a design for building a new search and rescue helicopter for New Zealand.

Ilminster’s annual Christmas Tree Festival starts today. Held at the Minster, it features decorated trees and crib scenes representing local community groups. Admission to the Minster is free, with all donations going to the groups participating in the festival.

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