Thursday 21st May

Thursday, 21 May 2026 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.

More from News

Tuesday 15th September

Police investigating an attack on a shop worker in Yeovil have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to speak to. Farmers in Somerset are being warned to expect more cases of bluetongue. Ilminster Carnival Committee has announced the cancellation of this year's Children's Carnival due to a lack of entries... and more
Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more