Monday 29th April

Monday, 29 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset’s busiest speed camera in 2023 has been revealed as the camera on the westbound carriageway of the A303 between the Podimore Roundabout and the Hazelgrove Roundabout. Bus campaigners are calling on Somerset Council to keep the public toilets open at Yeovil bus station. The funeral has taken place in Yeovil of D-Day veteran, Bill Tolley, who has died at the age of 97...and more.

Somerset’s busiest speed camera in 2023 has been revealed as the camera on the westbound carriageway of the A303 between the Podimore Roundabout and the Hazelgrove Roundabout, near Yeovil. It recorded 12,005 speeding offences last year. The limit on this stretch of the A303 is 30mph. The highest speed recorded was 85mph. A speed camera on the A303 between Podimore Roundabout and Hazelgrove Roundabout travelling eastward recorded 4,227 offences. The highest speed recorded last year on all cameras in the Avon and Somerset Police area was 159 mph.

Bus campaigners are calling on Somerset Council to keep the public toilets at Yeovil bus station open. The toilets are due to close at the end of May with neither Somerset Council nor Yeovil Town Council claiming they don’t have the £70,000 needed to keep them open. The Somerset Bus Users Group wants the decision reversed, citing the experience of disabled passengers and concerns about the future of the Yeovil bus station site.

Four men have been arrested in connection with an alleged assault in Yeovil. It happened in Middle Street on Sunday, April 13th at around 1.15 am. A man suffered bruising and the loss of a tooth in the attack.

People in Somerset whose homes were flooded in January by Storm Henk may be eligible for government grants of up to £5000 to help prevent it happening again. The money is to help pay towards installing measures to reduce damage from flooding in future. Grant applications should be made through Somerset Council before the end of May.

Work has started building a new diagnostic centre at Yeovil Hospital. The 3-storey building on Higher Kingston is targeted to handle 70,000 diagnostic tests and outpatient appointments every year. During the construction, sections of footpath along Higher Kingston and the A30 Reckleford are cordoned off, with pedestrians using other routes into the hospital grounds.

The funeral has taken place in Yeovil of a D-Day veteran who has died at the age of 97. Bill Tolley served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. His funeral service was held at St John’s Church last Friday.

More from News

Wednesday 17th June

Avon and Somerset Police say they'll be carrying out enhanced patrols for drink and drug driving during and after England's opening World Cup game tonight. Somerset Chamber of Commerce is warning that the conflict in Iran is having a serious impact on local businesses. A master thatcher based in Ilminster says the traditional craft of thatching is under threat because of a lack of training opportunities...and more
Tuesday 16th June

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal two-vehicle crash on the A358 near Ilminster. A man from Norton-sub-Hamdon has appeared in court charged with drink driving. An original Mr Blobby costume from the former Blobbyland theme park at Cricket St Thomas has been put up for sale... and more
Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.