Thursday 21st May

Thursday, 21 May 2026 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are being asked to cut the time the M5 is closed following accidents. Plans to build a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out. Aldi is asking shoppers to help find locations for new stores in Somerset...and more

Avon and Somerset Police says it’s doing all it can to reduce the amount of time the M5 is closed following serious accidents. The force says motorway incidents are often highly complex and require thorough investigation work, with the average closure currently lasting around four-and-a-quarter hours. The comments come after Somerset Council called on both National Highways and the police to improve the situation and minimise disruption for drivers.

Plans for a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out following a public inquiry. Greentech Invest UK Limited had proposed building the development off Chard Lane in Wayford. The site would have covered around sixty-four acres and generated enough electricity to power an estimated four-thousand-seven-hundred homes over the next forty years. But planning inspector John Longmuir has ruled the project should not go ahead, saying it would have an intrusive impact on the protected surrounding countryside.

A man from Donyatt has been sentenced after punching a woman, assaulting two police officers, and directing racist abuse towards them. Twenty-eight-year-old Liam Watson, of Donyatt Hill, admitted the offences at an earlier hearing in Yeovil. At Taunton Magistrates’ Court he was fined seven-hundred pounds, handed a twelve-month community order, and ordered to pay one-hundred pounds compensation to each victim.

A Yeovil councillor has stepped down from Somerset Council’s executive committee. Graham Oakes, who representes Yeovil East and held responsibility for public health, climate change and the environment, says his decision was taken for non-political reasons. His duties have been passed to Councillor Evie Potts-Jones, who represents Yeovil West.

Aldi is asking shoppers in Somerset to help identify potential locations for new stores. The supermarket says it’s investing more than three-hundred-and-seventy million pounds in expansion this year as part of plans to grow to fifteen-hundred stores across the UK. Aldi says suggested locations in Somerset will be reviewed as part of its nationwide search for new sites.

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Wells Cathedral says it's having to get creative to bring in more money as financial pressures continue to grow. A convenience store in Martock has been allowed to keep its alcohol licence despite an employee working there illegally. Police have seized an illegally ridden e-scooter in Yeovil in response to concerns from local residents... and more
Thursday 29th October

A Yeovil man has been detained under the Mental Health Act for attacking his mother with a knife. People in Chard are being reminded that it’s unlawful to attach flags to lamp posts and street furniture. Wincanton Racecourse has called off its 'Badger Chase Day' because the ground is too firm... and more
Wednesday 28th October

Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it is closing with immediate effect. NHS Somerset could merge with neighbours in Bath and North-East Somerset and Dorset to cut costs. Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant has launched a campaign to get more people nominated for national honours... and more
Tuesday 27th October

Work has started building a new six-million-pound flood defence scheme in Taunton. Plans have been submitted to build a new church hall in Martock. People are being asked to donate gifts to this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal... and more
Monday 26th October

Eligible groups in Somerset are being encouraged to get their flu jabs. There’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look inside Avon & Somerset Police’s control room. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP, has visited Yeovil... and more.
Friday 23rd October

Somerset is the 11th most challenging place in England to be a child according to a report. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire could have its own elected ‘Wessex Mayor’ by 2028. Cricketer, Ian Botham returns to the county this weekend... and more.
Thursday 22nd October

The NFU says that testing for the virus Bluetongue needs to be sped up. Construction of new flats on Yeovil’s Grimsby Corner site will officially begin next year. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind tomorrow... and more.
Wednesday 21st October

The owner of campsite in Somerset says a two-thousand-seven-hundred percent increase in business rates will be 'catastrophic' for his business. Plans to build nearly 300 new homes on the outskirts of Chard have been given the go ahead. Yeovil Town are through to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Leatherhead 5-2 at Huish Park last night... and more