Monday 4th March

Monday, 4 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Government has given Somerset Council the go-ahead to use income from selling property assets to pay day-to-day running costs. A councillor in Chard has started a petition calling for a rethink of plans to close Sunnymeade Care Home in the town. Ticket inspectors have been employed to travel on buses in Somerset to check that passengers have valid tickets...and more.

Somerset Council has been given the go-ahead to sell property assets and use the income to pay the Council’s day-to-day running costs. Somerset is one of nineteen councils in England suffering financial problems to be given government approval to use capital receipts from asset sales to top-up spending on services. Somerset Council will now take out a loan of £77 million over 20 years, paying it back as properties are sold.

A new contract has been issued to run the Number One bus service between Yeovil and Shepton Mallet. South West Coaches will operate the service, with changes to the route and timetable from April 15th. The Number One bus provides an important transport link for students living in Castle Cary, needing to get to Strode College in Street.

A councillor in Chard has started an online petition calling for a rethink of plans to close Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard. Councillor Connor Payne says shutting the home would lose Chard yet another vital provision and have a big impact on residents, their families, and staff at the home. Somerset Care, who run Sunnymeade, say the home is no longer fit for purpose and updating the building would make the home financially unviable.

Ticket inspectors will be travelling on buses in Somerset from this week checking that passengers have valid tickets. Revenue Protection Officers are being employed by First Bus to carry out the checks. Passengers are advised to have their tickets ready to show or risk a £50 fine.

Glastonbury Festival has opened a prize draw to raise money for charities supporting people affected by conflict. Twenty tickets for this year’s sold-out festival are up for grabs with the draw open to the end of March. Organisers say the money raised will be donated to the British Red Cross, Oxfam and War Child.

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Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more
Wednesday 28th January

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced plans to develop a new operational base on the Leonardo airfield in Yeovil. Several people have been rescued from their homes in Ilminster due to flooding. An £800,000 project is underway to restore two staircases at Montecute House...and more
Tuesday 27th January

Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more
Monday 26th January

A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more
Friday 23rd January

New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.
Thursday 22nd January

A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more
Wednesday 21st January

Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more
Tuesday 20th January

Citizens Advice says thousands of people in Somerset have lost some or all of their council tax discount. The UK's first autonomous full-size helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo in Yeovil, has successfully completed its maiden flight. A new pharmacy has opened in Wincanton...and more