Monday 6th November

Monday, 6 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans by Somerset Council to sell £220 million of commercial properties could take up to two years to complete. Ninety per cent of care home residents in Somerset have received a Covid-19 jab. Ilchester Football Club is seeking financial help following damage to its ground in last week’s torrential rainstorms. A mother from Somerset has been talking to Princess Anne about how hard it is to be a parent carer...and more.

Plans by Somerset Council to sell £220 million of commercial properties could take up to two years to complete. The portfolio of properties includes shops like the Marks and Spencer store and former Wilko store in Yeovil, offices and other buildings both in Somerset and other parts of the country, The buildings are currently valued at substantially less than what was paid for them with Somerset Council facing a £70 million loss on the sale. This week, the Council is expected to declare a financial emergency as it battles to sort out its spending to stave off bankruptcy.

Ninety per cent of care home residents in Somerset have received a Covid-19 jab, according to NHS Somerset. 128,000 Covid-19 vaccinations have been given since the winter campaign was launched in Somerset in September.

A mother from Somerset has been talking to Princess Anne about how hard it is to be a parent carer. Tina Amery was presented with an OBE by the Princess Royal for her services to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Tina says the Princess listened very carefully to all her points.

Ilchester Football Club is seeking financial help following damage to its ground in last week’s torrential thunderstorms. The club says its pitches and the clubhouse were left waterlogged when the River Yeo burst its banks. A GoFundMe page has been launched asking people to contribute towards getting the Club back up and running again.

A Somerset man who is planning to build a house says he is "confused" and "frustrated" by river pollution rules that are preventing him from starting work. Tony Fuller wants to build the house in Winsham, near Chard but has been told by planners that he needs to spend £55,000 on environmental credits or his planning application will be refused. Mr Fuller says the longer the delay goes on, the more it will cost him to build the house.

The go-ahead has been given to build a new care home in Yeovil. The 66-bedroom care home will be built on a vacant plot on Highfield Road, off St Michael’s Avenue. Planning permission had previously been granted to build 14 new homes on the land.

More from News

Friday 12th June

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
Thursday 11th June

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
Wednesday 10th June

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
Tuesday 9th June

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
Monday 8th June

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.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more