News Friday 24th January

Friday, 24 January 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. The complex, to be sited on the southeast corner of the Bunford Business Park off Watercombe Lane, includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools, three outdoor tennis courts, gym and spa facilities, a children’s soft play area, and lounge facilities and terrace. Somerset Council has yet to say when the plans will go before the Somerset Planning Committee for a decision. The application is submitted on behalf of David Lloyd Leisure Ltd and the Abbey Manor Group Ltd, owners of the Bunford Business Park site. David Lloyd, the former professional tennis player, set up his Leisure business in 1982. Today, he operates 134 clubs across the UK and Europe, employing eight thousand staff.

Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. Cuts to the mental health carers assessment service follow a review, which Somerset Council claims will deliver best value. Mel Warburton looks after her daughter, who has several physical and mental health conditions. She’s unconvinced the changes will work better for carers like her.

A housing development in Keinton Mandeville could still go ahead after an appeal was lodged. Galion Homes put forward plans in 2021 to build 30 homes to the north of Church Street. Somerset Council’s Planning South Committee voted to refuse the application in December saying the houses were unwanted and would damage the character of the area. Now, the developer has appealed the decision, with the Planning Inspectorate expected to make a ruling on the application later in the year.

A new care home is set to open in March in Yeovil. Potter House on Highfield Road, part of Oyster Care Homes, offers en-suite rooms, bistro, garden room, hair salon, and cinema room.

People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Researcher, Dr Hannah Thompson-Radford, who’s leading the project, is asking for help filling in blanks on scorecards which only feature a player’s initials instead of their full name.

Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK, by the food magazine, SquareMeals. Osip in Bruton was singled out for making its dishes using local ingredients, while Holm in South Petherton was praised for its seasonal tasting menus.

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Friday 31st October

There's anger in Chard about a road diversion in place alongside two sets of roadworks through the town. A motorcyclist has been injured in an accident in Bruton. £100,000 has been donated towards re-opening Shepton Mallet’s Amulet theatre... and more
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 .