Monday 7th April

Monday, 7 April 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

There’s been a setback in building a new multi-million-pound electric car battery factory in Somerset. A new bus service has started running between Yeovil and Bristol. A new project has been launched to support people living with dementia in Somerset. Wetherspoon's in Yeovil reopens to customers tomorrow following a £1.6 million refurbishment...and more

A setback has been made in building a new multi-million-pound electric car battery factory in Somerset. Jaguar Land Rover, which is building the plant alongside the M5 at Puriton near Bridgwater, says that due to a slowdown in electric vehicle sales, the factory will now be built smaller than was originally planned. The opening date for production to start has been delayed by a year to 2027.

A new bus service has started running from Yeovil to Bristol. The 376 service stops in Street and runs to Bristol daily.

Wetherspoon's in Yeovil reopens to customers tomorrow following a £1.6 million refurbishment. The William Dampier pub, on the corner of Central Street and Middle Street, has been closed since January. Weatherspoon's says the upgrade, including a new beer garden, has created 35 full and part-time jobs.

Somerset Council has closed the public toilets opposite Tesco in Ilminster. The Council shut the toilets last week, saying they could no longer afford to keep them open. Ilminster Town Council has been asked to take over running the toilets and is due to discuss the issue at a meeting on April 15th.

The Managing Director of Leonardo in Yeovil, Nigel Coleman, says this is a good time to be in the defence sector. It comes after the company was awarded a £165m contract to service and repair Merlin Helicopters.

A new project has been launched to support people living with dementia in Somerset. Run by Froglife, it aims to get people with memory loss outdoors and be more active.

Four boys at Hazelgrove School at Sparkford are planning a cycling marathon in aid of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Hambo Kane, Ed Hyland, Freddie Storey and Louis Plunkett, all aged under 12, plan to cycle the 125 miles from Cardinham in Cornwall to Sparkford over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

More from News

Wednesday 29th April

Somerset Council says Hendford Hill in Yeovil should be fully reopened to traffic by the end of May. Plans have been approved to build 40 new homes in Crewkerne. A huge pile of illegally dumped rubbish in Glastonbury has been cleared... and more
Tuesday 28th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal collision at Rimpton. A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage in South Petherton. Former Yeovil Town manager Gary Johnson has been retained as first-team manager of Taunton Town for next season... and more
Monday 27th April

A former school in Sherborne has been badly damaged by fire. A care home in Yeovil has been rated outstanding. ublic spaces in West Coker owned by Somerset Council are being handed over to the parish council. Mendip Golf Club has presented a cheque for £12,000 to Mind in Somerset... and more
Friday 24th April

Plans have been submitted to turn a property on Preston Road in Yeovil into a House in Multiple Occupation. Yeovil’s Marlie Packer has been recalled to the England Red Roses starting line-up for tomorrow’s Women’s Six Nations game against Wales. Three sisters from Yeovil will be running the London Marathon this weekend in support of Guide Dogs UK... and more
Thursday 23rd April

Helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton have completed six weeks of sorties, protecting Cyprus from attacks by Iran. People in Somerset who use domestic heating oil are calling on the government to regulate the oil supply industry. Patients are being invited to register at a new NHS dentist in Crewkerne... and more
Wednesday 22nd April

Expectant mothers are using Yeovil Hospital once again to give birth following the reopening of the maternity unit. A Yeovil man has been jailed for four years for committing sexual offences against two young girls. Plans have been approved to convert a pub in Milborne Port into housing... and more
Tuesday 21st April

NHS Somerset has delayed closing the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. A former Avon and Somerset Police officer has been jailed for making indecent images of children. A Somerset man has been fined after pleading guilty to hunting a wild animal with dogs... and more
Monday 20th April

Nearly one hundred roads in Somerset will be surface dressed this summer to prevent further damage. Almost all children starting primary school in Somerset in September have been offered a place at one of their top three school choices. People in Somerset are being asked to record wild mammals in gardens and other green spaces over the summer... and more