Thursday 19th December

Thursday, 19 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A Somerset pensioner has criticised the government for refusing to compensate women who claim they were not given adequate warning about changes to the start date for receiving the state pension. Parents are being asked to check their children have been vaccinated against measles following a rise in cases. The use of energy-saving light bulbs is greater in the South West than in any other region in England.

A Somerset pensioner has criticised the government after it said there won't be any compensation for women born in the 1950s who say they didn't get an adequate warning about changes to the age they could claim the state pension. The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman had recommended the women be given a payout but Sir Keir Starmer says any compensation would impose an unfair burden on taxpayers.

A food bank in Chard has blamed the cost of living and inflation for a drop in donations to the food bank. To meet demand, the Lord's Larder in Chard has been forced into using its cash reserves to buy food to give to those in the greatest need.

Several roads on the Somerset Levels, closed by recent flooding, have been re-opened to traffic. Somerset Council says the emergency closure gates, put in place to block access to the A361 New Road, Langport Road, and Cutts Road, on the Somerset Levels have been removed.

Parents are being asked to check that their children have been vaccinated against measles following figures showing a rise in cases in the South West, including here in Somerset. The NHS says forty-six confirmed measles cases were recorded in the South West during 2024. This is the highest number since 2012. Symptoms of measles to look for in children are a fever, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes, or a rash starting on the face and spreading. Parents are advised that the best way to protect children is for them to be given the Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccine, known as the MMR vaccine.

The use of energy-saving light bulbs is greater in the South West than in any other region in England. New research shows that three-quarters of people in the region use energy-saving light bulbs, with half of those questioned also using smart meters to track their energy usage.

The Hub in Yeovil has been presented with a cheque for £4,000 by Somerset Freemason. The Hub, on the Pen Mill trading estate, says the money will be used to provide new experiences and activities to the 70 adults with autism and learning disabilities in its care.

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