Thursday 21st November

Thursday, 21 November 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Bus campaigners are warning that government funding to improve Somerset’s bus network could be lost if Somerset Council goes bankrupt. GPs in Somerset are calling on the government to protect them from planned National Insurance tax rises for employers. Luxury handbag maker, Mulberry, is cutting dozens of jobs, including here in our locality...and more

Bus campaigners are warning that government funding of nearly seven million pounds to improve Somerset’s bus network could be lost if Somerset Council goes bankrupt. The authority is currently managing a financial crisis, making hundreds of staff redundant and cutting services. Peter Travis the co-chair of Somerset Bus Partnership, a voluntary group which supports the county's bus network welcomes the government's funding support but is concerned about Somerset Council’s financial position.

GPs in Somerset are calling on the government to protect them from planned National Insurance tax rises for employers, warning it could hit patient services. The Wessex Local Medical Committees, which represents GP practices in Somerset, has described the NI tax increases as being a "hammer blow".

Luxury handbag maker, Mulberry, is cutting dozens of jobs, including here in Somerset. It follows a 20 percent drop in sales in the first half of the year and plans for a major restructure of the business. The move comes a month after Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group ditched plans to takeover Mulberry.

The A303 westbound between the Cartgate roundabout and Prophets Lane will be shut from 7 pm until 6 am tomorrow for white-lining. Diversions will be in operation via the A3088, A30 and A356.

A one-day advice session is being held in Yeovil for anyone who has experienced, is currently experiencing, or may have concerns about domestic abuse. Organised by Somerset Council’s domestic abuse service, to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, it’s being held at Abbey Manor Business Centre on Preston Road, next Monday, November 25th.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.