Thursday 10th October

Thursday, 10 October 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Work demolishing the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil will start before the end of the month. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for a ban on executive bonuses at Wessex Water. Somerset Council has issued an urgent appeal for more foster carers to come forward.. and more.

Somerset Council has appointed a contractor to demolish the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil with work starting before the end of the month. It follows the Council’s purchase of the Glovers Walk site for £2.7 million with plans for new residential and commercial buildings on the land. Contractors, Walters UK, are being paid £1 million to clear the site and complete the work by early springs next year. Yeovil bus station will stay open throughout the period.

A local man who pushed a parish councillor, causing him to fall and fracture his skull, has been given an 18-month suspended prison sentence. Taunton Crown Court was told that Ian Barnes, aged 60, attacked Iain Hall, the Chairman of Merriot Parish Council, during a meeting. The Court heard that Barnes had been in dispute with the parish council and became aggressive towards Mr Hall before pushing him to the ground. Apart from the 18-month suspended prison sentence, Barnes was also subjected to a 5-year restraining order and told to pay Mr Hall £500 in compensation.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for a ban on executive bonuses at Wessex Water. His comments follow the announcement that Wessex Water has to pay back £5.3 million for poor performance and data showing that last year 2,667 sewage spills were reported in South Somerset. Mr Dance wants to see bonus payments to water bosses banned until leaks are fixed and sewage spills end. Wessex Water says for the second year running, no bonuses, relating to environmental performance, have been paid to directors.

Somerset Council has issued an appeal for more foster carers to come forward to provide stable homes for local children. The Council says it’s dealing with a growing number of children coming into the care of the council who need a foster family. Council Leader, Bill Revans says finding a stable foster home with a nurturing family provides the best environment for children in care, ensuring they remain in their local community, surrounded by the faces and places they know.

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