Monday 30th March

Monday, 30 March 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Avon and Somerset Police say its armed officers attended 2,700 incidents in Somerset last year. Plans have been submitted to build 40 new homes in Curry Rivel. South Western Ambulance is offering free CPR and defibrillator training to help improve cardiac arrest survival rates...and more

Avon and Somerset Police say its armed officers attended 2,700 incidents in Somerset last year. New data shows that, on average, there were 231 incidents a month attended by firearms officers in Somerset in 2025. The data does not equate to the number of incidents in which firearms were used or involved.

Plans have been submitted to build 40 new homes off Maple Road in Curry Rivel. Fourteen of the homes will be affordable, meeting Somerset Council's target of 35 per cent affordable housing for any new development of ten homes or more. Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the application within the next six months.

Eight hundred thousand pounds is being spent dredging rivers in Somerset to prevent flooding. Somerset Rivers Authority says it is also spending one hundred thousand pounds on removing vegetation from the River Isle near Donyatt to prevent flooding on the A358.

Over the Easter weekend, a stretch of track on the West of England Rail Line through Somerset will be closed for rail replacement works. From Friday, April 3rd, to Monday, April 6th, trains from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids will terminate at Yeovil Junction. Buses will replace trains to Crewkerne, Axminster, Honiton and Exeter St Davids.

South Western Ambulance is offering free CPR and defibrillator training to help improve cardiac arrest survival rates. Data shows that only one in ten people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, a statistic the ambulance service believes can be improved through community education. Organisations interested in hosting a session should visit the South Western Ambulance website to make a booking.

The Mendip Hills National Landscape is offering young people the chance to become Young Rangers. Volunteers will take part in activities each month, including navigation skills, conservation tasks and dry-stone walling.

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Monday 5th October

Ilminster is gearing up for a Royal visit by Prince William tomorrow. Plans have been approved to convert the former Battens Solicitors building on Princes Street in Yeovil into 21 flats. A 'Just Giving' page has opened for making donations towards Ilminster Carnival which, on Saturday, had to be cancelled midway through due to a gas leak...and more
Friday 2nd October

An investigation's underway after two people died in a collision near Taunton. A Somerset-based charity has warned of the risks of fuel poverty this winter. A Somerset healthcare service has been recognised with a national award.... and more.
Thursday 1st October

765 new homes have been given planning permission on the edge of Yeovil. Somerset Council’s Executive will meet to consider new parking charges. Four of the county’s best military cadets have been appointed as Lord-Lieutenant cadets... and more.
Wednesday 30th September

Police are appealing for a missing 17 year old from Castle Cary. A registered sex offender has been sentenced to 9 years in prison. A former Chard student who is one of six writers in the running to win this year's Booker Prize has paid tribute to his childhood teachers... and more.
Tuesday 29th September

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service say this summer saw record-breaking levels of demand. The charity that runs the Brewhouse Theatre has confirmed that it will definitely close. A Chard charity has launched a minibus service to improve community transport... and more.
Monday 28th September

Somerset Community Foundation says it has awarded more than £40 million in grants across the county. The family of a Somerset girl say they used AI to help diagnose her genetic condition. A property in Monks Dale, Yeovil is subject to a three month Closure Order... and more.
Friday 25th September

’20 Is Plenty’ is the message to drivers travelling through Langport. Chard’s Numatic manufacturing hub is marking 45 years of business with an investment of £85m into the company. Wessex Water tell us the hosepipe ban will remain across the region... and more.