Yeovil residents are being asked whether they would pay for part of the Octagon Theatre refurbishment. Spending on buses in Somerset is the lowest per head in the region, according to the county's bus partnership. A Yeovil fraudster has been jailed for almost three years...and more.
Yeovil residents are being asked whether they would be willing to pay part of the bill for the refurbishment of the Octagon Theatre. It's been closed for two years while plans are made for the theatre, but the town council wants to raise its council tax precept by more than three per cent to cover a £3,000,000 loan. Leader of the council, Andy Soughton, says if residents reject the plans, it’s back to the drawing board.
Spending on buses in Somerset is the lowest per head in the region, according to the county's bus partnership. It comes after a major parliamentary report into services around England, which suggests a number of improvements to support rural communities. The Somerset Bus Partnership submitted evidence to the Transport Select Committee's report.
A Yeovil fraudster who stole thousands of pounds in so-called romance scams has been jailed for almost three years. Ben Millin fabricated stories of dying relatives, health conditions and job interviews to defraud four women out of an estimated £30,000 to £40,000. A proportion of the money helped fund his gambling habits.
Somerset Council say that around £1,000,000 could be saved if residents recycled all of their food waste, instead of binning it. Following the authority’s collaboration with SUEZ’s food waste recycling service, they say that the process is a cheaper and greener way to dispose of food waste compared to the process used with general waste bins. Whilst 7 out of 10 households in the county regularly put their food waste out for recycling, it is estimated that 16,000 tonnes a year is still going into the rubbish bin – that’s three meals a week, per household. Residents who need a new or replacement kitchen caddy or food waste bin can request it online at www.somerset.gov.uk/order-bins
Services and acts of remembrance are taking place across Yeovil & South Somerset for VJ Day. An Ilminster café has unveiled a new defibrillator in the town. A room, named in honour of a member of Somerset Council’s Public Health team, has been opened at Yeovil Library...and more.
A coroner has raised concerns after the death of a newborn baby at Yeovil District Hospital. Revised plans for the construction of up to 360 homes in Ilminster will be put forward in the autumn. Somerset’s Local Community Networks are marking the start of their third year in the county...and more.
A new 'family style' children's home for vulnerable children has opened in Somerset. Railway services between Yeovil and Exeter will run less frequently and at a slower speed from this week. A Crewkerne man has been given a one-year driving ban for drug driving. Chard Town Council says the public toilets near Sainsbury’s have been deep cleaned in preparation for re-opening them...and more.
Bus drivers with First Bus in Somerset are being balloted about possible strike action. Six thousand pounds has been raised towards repairing a boat, used for sightseeing trips on the River Parrett in Langport, after vandals damaged it. A hedgehog rescue charity in Somerset is facing closure due to a lack of funds...and more
Somerset Council has paused roadworks on Fore Street in Chard indefinitely due to unforeseen complications. A Somerset farming family says they've lost faith in the government over plans to introduce inheritance tax on farm estates. Memories are being revived of a Live Aid concert in Yeovil from 40 years ago, which raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
The owners of Yeovil Town Football Club say that they are hopeful of concluding a deal with Somerset Council to buy back Huish Park very soon. Hestercombe House and Gardens near Taunton has gone into administration. The Government is eyeing up the possibility of using brownfield land near railway lines in Somerset for house building...and more
A fire at the former Mermaid Hotel in Yeovil town centre is being treated as accidental. People with premium bonds in Somerset are being encouraged to check their numbers as over 800-thousand pounds of prizes remain unclaimed. Chard is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day later this month...and more.
A college merger in Somerset has created one of the largest education groups in the UK. People in Somerset are being encouraged to report drivers who misuse disabled parking bays. A D-Day veteran from Somerset is celebrating his 100th birthday this week...and more
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