Thursday 13th February

Thursday, 13 February 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Councillors have voted to cut 555 jobs at Somerset Council. Farmers in Somerset are reporting a big increase in thefts of trucks, trailers and machinery. NHS Somerset has confirmed that a doctor’s surgery in Yeovil is to expand. The Forget Me Not Pre-School in Yeovil has been rated 'Good' across all areas by Ofsted...and more

Councillors have voted to cut 555 jobs at Somerset Council. The authority is undergoing a major restructuring following the merger of five district councils in April 2023 and trying to plug a £66 million gap in its budget for the new financial year starting in April. Chair of Somerset UNISON, Neil Guild, says the cuts will impact greatly on service levels at Somerset Council.

Farmers in Somerset are reporting a big increase in thefts of trucks, trailers and machinery. Figures from insurers NFU Mutual show that in 2023 there was a 42 per cent increase in farm thefts in Somerset.

NHS Somerset has confirmed that a doctor’s surgery in Yeovil is to expand. The Ryalls Park Medical Centre on Marsh Lane is close to several planned housing developments with people moving into the new homes wanting to register with the surgery.

The South West has been given £23.1 million of government funding for new walking and cycling projects, and Somerset Council will receive £2.7 million. The money will provide cycle tracks and footpaths, as well as safer crossings and road junctions.

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with two drink and drug driving offences. Owen Zubel of Hillside Terrace was found to be over the drink and drug drive limit after the car he was driving was involved in a four-vehicle crash at Pen Hill in Wincanton. Magistrates in Yeovil sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Ofsted has rated the Forget Me Not Pre-School in Yeovil has 'Good' across all areas. The nursery in Linden Road was praised for its strong leadership, high-quality education, and nurturing environment for children aged two to four following the inspection in November.

Local suppliers of wheelchair-accessible products, Koller Engineering, on Garrett Road in Yeovil, has made St Margaret’s Hospice Care its Charity of the Year. The business says it will donate £1 from every wheelchair restraint it sells in 2025 to support the hospice’s work in Somerset..

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more