Tuesday 5th March

Tuesday, 5 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Union representing staff at Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard says everyone will be left in a difficult situation if the home closes. 'Buses of Somerset' says some services will run at different times from next month. Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has officially opened Ferne Animal Sanctuary’s new shop in Crewkerne...and more.

The Union representing staff at Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard that’s at risk of closing, says everyone – staff and residents – will be left in a difficult situation if the closure goes ahead. Somerset Care plans to shut Sunnymeade, together with Critchill Court care home in Frome in April. They say the homes are no longer viable. A consultation on the proposals is now open for comments.

Buses of Somerset says some services will run at different times from next month. The Number 51 Yeovil Town service is included in the timetable changes that take effect from Sunday, April 14th. Full details of the new running times can be viewed on the Buses of Somerset website.

A faith room and a breastfeeding facility are planned as part of an upgrade of Chard police station. The improvements costing £900,000 are to bring the building up to a higher standard for the public and staff. Works are expected to start later this year, subject to planning permission being given.

Not a single stretch of river in the West of England is in ‘good’ overall health, according to a new report. The Rivers Trust found the region’s waterways are being poisoned by a cocktail of pollution from agriculture, the water industry and road runoff.
According to the report, 100 per cent of river stretches in the West failed to meet ‘good’ overall status.

A former Royal Marine from Somerset has won the title of UK Bench Press Champion. Ram Patten only took up the bench press competitively a year ago and having won the UK title now has set his sights on the world championships.

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has cut a ribbon to officially open Ferne Animal Sanctuary’s new store in Crewkerne. The new shop in Falkland Square is the charity’s seventh outlet in Somerset and Devon.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more