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
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more
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