Thursday 20th March

Thursday, 20 March 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

There has been a further delay to reopening Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Wincanton in which a motorcyclist was killed. A debt advice charity in Somerset is recruiting more volunteers to help with an expected increase in people going into debt...and more.

Somerset Council says Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre may not reopen until early 2027. The theatre closed in April 2023, with Somerset Council initially planning to spend £30 million on a major upgrade. That figure was later reduced to £15 million with a reopening date set for the end of 2026. The Council says a revised business case for the project still hasn't been submitted to the government, meaning the reopening will be delayed to 2027. Of the £15 million allocated to up-grade the Octagon, £10 million will come from a government grant, with £3.75 million provided by Yeovil Town who, once the refurbishment is completed, have agreed in principle to take over running the theatre.

A debt advice charity in Somerset is recruiting more volunteer advisers to help with an expected increase in people going into debt in the next few months. Council tax and other utility bills will rise in April with Somerset Debt Advice saying it’s likely to lead to more people running out of money.

A bus service between Shepton Mallet and Castle Cary is now stopping at Castle Cary railway station. This follows the introduction of a turning space on the station forecourt, allowing route bus-1 to drop off and pick up passengers.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Wincanton in which a motorcyclist was killed. It happened yesterday at around 6 am on the B3081 at Old Hill near Wincanton racecourse. Anyone who witnessed the accident or has dashcam footage is asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

The RSPB's site at Ham Wall in Somerset recorded a record year for bitterns in 2024. 15 booming males were recorded at Ham Wall and 41 across the whole of Avalon Marshes. The UK's loudest bird population has increased by 20 per cent in the last year.

A Yeovil primary school will welcome a visit by a top athlete next month. Robert Mitchell, a finalist in the High Jump at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, will be at St Michael’s Academy on Friday, April 25th, where he’ll share his stories, to inspire children to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

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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