Thursday 20th November

Thursday, 20 November 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Taunton Town Council has agreed to provide funding for five years to support the town's Brewhouse Theatre. The Environment Agency is warning that Somerset could experience a drought next spring if this winter is drier than usual. We’re being asked to look out for rough sleepers during the current cold snap...and more

Taunton Town Council has agreed to provide £105,000 in funding each year for five years to support the town's Brewhouse Theatre. The Taunton Theatre Association, which has taken on running the theatre from Somerset Council, says the bulk of the money will be used to pay for repairs to the building.

Eight out of ten people in a consultation say they’re against paying for Sunday parking at car parks run by Somerset Council. The Council says it’s assessing the economic impact of the move, but points out that in other towns where Sunday parking charges have been introduced, the local economy has not suffered. Somerset Council is due to meet next month to discuss the consultation results.

The Environment Agency is warning that Somerset could experience a drought next spring if this winter is drier than usual. It says that unless there is sustained rainfall before the end of March, drought conditions could worsen, impacting crop yields and wildlife. It's also warning of hosepipe bans.

We’re being asked to look out for rough sleepers during the current cold snap. With overnight temperatures falling below freezing, Somerset Council has activated its Severe Weather Emergency plan, which provides emergency accommodation for rough sleepers. The Council says outreach teams have been contacted to ensure no one dies on the streets and that every effort is made to engage with people who sleep rough. If you see someone sleeping rough, you can report it on the Street Link website or by calling 0300 123 22 24.

A dance group in South Somerset has won an international award. Ashill Scottish Country Dancers took first prize in the People’s Choice Award in the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society’s Virtual Festival. Their winning entry, a five-minute video entitled Dance a Rainbow, featured seven Scottish country dances, themed around a colour of the rainbow. Anyone who would like to join the group meets every Tuesday at 7.30 pm at Horton Village Hall.

More from News

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
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more