Thursday 30th November

Thursday, 30 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Libraries, leisure centres, theatres and recycling centres could all face cuts as Somerset Council tries to save tens of millions of pounds. The people who run Shepton Mallet Prison say the building is closing as a visitor attraction. A licence has been granted to hold an eight-day long Christmas Festival at Yeovil Showground in December...and more

Libraries, leisure centres, theatres, and recycling centres could all face cuts as Somerset Council tries to save tens of millions of pounds. The authority needs to cut £87m from next year's budget. Rising adult and children social care costs are putting particular pressure on council spending. The Lib Dem Council Leader, Bill Revans, says everything the council does is being looked at with a view to making savings.

The people who run Shepton Mallet Prison say the building will be closing as a venue in early January due to problems they are having with the building’s owners. The former jail that holds the record for having England’s highest prison perimeter wall has been used for events and tours but the company running it says they can no longer continue working with the landlords.

The go-ahead has been given to hold an eight-day long Christmas Festival at Yeovil Showground this year. Somerset Council has granted the event a licence after Avon and Somerset Police withdrew their objections to it being held. The festival also called the Yeovil Christmas Extravaganza will feature Santa's Grotto, an ice rink, live music, fairground rides, and a Christmas shopping village. It is due to take place at Yeovil Showground from Friday 15th to Friday 22nd of December, with a firework display on Saturday, December 16th at 8 pm.

Increasing numbers of families in Somerset are having their complaints about special educational needs services upheld. The number of complaints upheld by the Ombudsman service has gone from three, five years ago, to 22 upheld last year. Somerset Council says it’s consulting on how it can change the system for supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Work has been completed refreshing the look of the Co-op food store in Martock. The store on North Street that supports 18 local jobs re-opens today after being closed for 6-weeks while the refurbishment was carried out.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more