Monday 8th December

Monday, 8 December 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans to build 150 new homes in Ilminster have been scrapped. A Somerset councillor has been jailed for 26 months. Marks & Spencer wants to build a new Food Store in Ilminster. Poundland has announced that it’s shutting its store in Middle Street in Yeovil...and more

Plans to build 150 new homes and commercial premises on the former Horlicks factory site in Ilminster have been scrapped. Dairygold Co-operative Society Ltd first submitted a planning application to redevelop the site on Station Road in January 2019, followed by a revised proposal in November 2024. But now, without explanation, the Irish-based developer has formally withdrawn the application.

A Somerset councillor has been jailed for two years and two months for his part in a climate demonstration on the M25. Michael Dunk, who represents Frome West for the Green Party, was part of a group of Just Stop Oil protestors who climbed gantries on the M25 in November 2022. They were protesting about the government's plans to license 100 new oil and gas projects. Three of his fellow campaigners were also jailed, while two were given suspended sentences.

Ilminster is on a list of places identified by Marks & Spencer for a new Food Store. Bridgwater and Wellington are also on the list of 12 places in Somerset where the retailer would like to open a food store. M&S says it’s looking for an empty retail unit in Ilminster on a two-acre site, with 21,500 square feet of floor space, parking for 150 vehicles, and easy access to all major roads.

Poundland has announced it’s closing its store in Middle Street, Yeovil. The company, which new owners acquired in June this year, is closing around 70 outlets nationwide, but will keep the Poundland store on the Houndstone Business Park in Yeovil open.

Yeovil Hospital's maternity unit may reopen in stages rather than all at once, according to Somerset NHS Foundation Trust. The special care baby unit and inpatient maternity service at Yeovil Hospital were closed in May following safety concerns. It was later announced that the unit would reopen in April next year. Now, the Trust has said it can’t confirm that the entire facility will reopen on the same day or whether a graded approach will be taken to ensure staff and patient safety. Since the closure, 453 babies have been delivered that would otherwise have been born at Yeovil. Of these, 215 were born at Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester, 178 at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, 31 were home births, and 29 were at other hospitals, including the Royal United in Bath.

The RSPCA is appealing for people to provide temporary homes to the many hundreds of cats in their care. The number of cats being cared for by the charity has doubled over the past five years to 1,700. The RSPC says it needs people to act as car foster carers for which they will pay all bills, including vet expenses, and food costs. More information can be found on the RSCPA website.

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Thursday 29th January

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