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.

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Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more