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.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more