Thursday 29th May

Thursday, 29 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has secured an adjournment debate in Parliament to discuss the sudden closure of Yeovil's maternity unit. The Royal Bath and West Show 2025 opens today. The go-ahead has been given to demolish the Crispin Shopping Centre in Street and build a retirement complex in its place...and more

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has secured time in the House of Commons to discuss the decision to close the maternity ward at Yeovil Hospital. An Adjournment Debate will be held next Tuesday, June 3rd when Mr Dance will direct his concerns to the relevant government minister. Mr Dance says he’ll be pressing for the baby ward to re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.

A charity that runs Chard Youth Centre says it's working with Chard Town Council to find ways to keep it open. Earlier this month, the Chard Area Youth Committee announced that the Youth Centre would no longer be financially sustainable and would shut down in July. A steering group has now been formed, with the Town Council as a member, to explore ways to fund the centre and secure its future.

The Royal Bath and West Show 2025 opens today at the showground near Shepton Mallet. The South West’s largest agricultural event takes place at a difficult time for the farming sector. Chief Organiser Carol Paris says that despite the challenges faced by farmers, entries have held firm this year, and many new events have been added to the show.

The go-ahead has been given to demolish the Crispin Shopping Centre in Street and build a retirement complex in its place. It follows an appeal by developers, Churchill Retirement Living, and the Planning Inspectorate, which overturned Somerset Council’s decision to reject the scheme. Churchill Retirement Living states that the site will be cleared by the end of the year, with building work set to commence in early 2026.

A Yeovil nursery has received a positive rating from Ofsted. Little Discoveries Nursery, on Stiby Road, was found to be 'Good' in all areas during a recent inspection. The inspection report highlighted that children are "happy, safe, and secure" and that "staff provide stimulating activities, contributing to children's development and learning in all areas of the curriculum."

The Ilminster Literary Festival has announced the winners of its 2025 children's writing competition. In the five to seven age section, Alvin Brunt from St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School was declared the winner. Rosie George from Hinton St George Church of England Primary School won the 8-11 age category. The 8-day-long festival kicks off today with talks by Vernon Bogdanor and Imogen Corrigan.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more