Monday 29th September

Monday, 29 September 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Yeovil woman, who’s visually impaired, says she’s had to stop using Pen Mill station because no staff are available. NHS Somerset says a final decision on the relaunch of maternity services at Yeovil Hospital will be made in October. A woman in Street is causing a stir on social media after putting up a Christmas tree at her home...and more

A Yeovil woman, who’s visually impaired, says she’s had to stop using Pen Mill station because no staff are available to help her get on and off the trains. Kath Vickery says it’s become impossible for her to travel by train safely, and won’t be using the Pen Mill again until GWR employs more staff at the station. Kath has now started a petition asking GWR to provide her with a staff member to navigate the station, board and alight from trains. GWR says it’s trying to fill staffing gaps at Pen Mill and has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers like Kath, who rely on staff assistance when using the station.

NHS Somerset says a final decision on the relaunch of maternity services at Yeovil Hospital will be made in October. The baby unit was closed in May due to safety concerns. A three-month review into the closure was carried out in mid-August, with NHS Somerset saying good progress was being made in recruiting additional staff. They’ve now confirmed that a further review will take place in October to set dates for the reopening the unit. Shepton Mallet Hospital, which treats NHS and private patients, is being extended to increase the number of operations it performs.

A £10 million scheme to reduce the flood risk on the Somerset Levels is nearing completion. A one-mile stretch of banking along the King's Sedgemoor Drain is being raised to improve drainage capacity.

Somerset Council is spending £3 million buying fifteen properties for families facing homelessness. The Council states that it will purchase additional properties to utilise in the same manner if the scheme proves successful.

A woman in Street is causing a stir on social media after putting up a Christmas tree at her home. There are three months to go before the big day, but Cassie Needles has gone viral on social media because of it. She says she's gone early, putting up a Christmas tree, because the summer is over.

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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
Tuesday 3rd March

A woman from Ilminster has been jointly charged with another woman after a man’s body was found inside a car in Cornwall. Somerset businesses, involved in the supply chain for Leonardo, have welcomed the news that the Leonardo factory in Yeovil is to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-two homes in Milborne Port... and more
Monday 2nd March

The Leonardo factory in Yeovil has won a multi-million pound contract to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. A doctor, who previously worked at Yeovil Hospital, has appeared in court charged with illegally accessing NHS computers. A new Construction Innovation Centre has opened at Yeovil College... and more
Friday 27th February

The CEO of Leonardo has suggested the UK government could make an announcement immindently about ordering new medium lift helicopters to be built in Yeovil. A family run hardware business in Yeovil has gone into administration. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset has been named the new patron of Somerset Chamber of Commerce... and more
Thursday 26th February

Workers at Leonardo in Yeovil have been to Downing Street to hand-in a petition calling on the government to back British jobs. The decision to grant planning permission to upgrade Yeovil's Octagon Theatre has been enthusiastically welcomed by staff who work there. The search is on to find a defibrillator that has gone missing in Chard... and more
Wednesday 25th February

Plans have been passed to carry out a £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. A new medical unit providing NHS and private treatments has opened in Shepton Mallet. Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard is celebrating after receiving a Gold Artsmark for excellence in arts and cultural education...and more