Support for Somerset residents struggling to pay their council tax bills could be cut from April next year. RMT members at First Bus in Somerset are planning further strike action. A movie written and produced by an ex-Yeovil College media student is to be premiered at Cineworld in Yeovil...and more
Support for Somerset residents struggling to pay their council tax bills could be cut from April next year to save more than £6 million. Somerset Council currently operates a council tax reduction scheme, providing discounts for single people, couples, and families. This costs around £29 million of which £16 million funds discounts to working-age people. The council has now launched a consultation into the scheme, aimed at reducing the discount available by £6 million a year.
More disruption is looming for local bus travellers. RMT members at First Bus in Somerset plan further strike action in support of their pay claim on Friday, August 9th and Monday, August 12th with an overtime ban on Saturday, August 10th and Sunday, August 11th. First Bus has urged the RMT to halt the action and engage in more talks.
A Chard man has been arrested after drugs were found at a property in Tatworth. The search was conducted by officers from the Chard Neighbourhood Policing Team assisted by members of the Regional Organised Crime squad. The man, who’s 37, was arrested on suspicion of importing class B drugs into the UK, with intent to supply.
Britain in Bloom judges are in Yeovil today. The town is competing in the large town category of Britain in Bloom having scored high marks with Yeovil in Bloom in last year’s regional competition.
A movie written and produced by an ex-Yeovil College media student is to be premiered at Cineworld in Yeovil. Connor Raithby has booked one of the big screens at Cineworld to show 'Stapler', a film that follows the adventures of a beleaguered white-collar worker and an office stapler that talks. 'Staple' will be given its premiere at Cineworld on Friday, August 2nd. Tickets are free and can be obtained by emailing Connor at: connorraithby@gmail.com
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.