Thursday 31st July

Thursday, 31 July 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A bird flu surveillance zone has been imposed in Somerset. The go-ahead has been given to build sixteen new homes in Shepton Beauchamp. Year Four pupils at Herne View Primary School in Ilminster have been presented with dictionaries by the local Rotary Club...and more.

A bird flu surveillance zone has been imposed in Somerset. It follows the discovery of the most serious variant of bird flu – H5NI – on a poultry farm near Dulverton. A 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone have been established around the farm. The Animal and Plant Health Agency is asking all bird keepers to remain vigilant and follow stringent biosecurity measures to prevent future outbreaks.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is accusing the government of neglecting families in his constituency. New figures have shown that child poverty in Yeovil rose from 17.7% in 2019-20 to 20.4% in 2023-24. Mr Dance says too many children in his constituency are growing up in poverty, and the number is rising, not falling. Mr Dance has welcomed the government drawing up a new strategy to tackle child poverty but says children in Yeovil need help now and not a promise of action in the future.

The go-ahead has been given to build sixteen new homes in Shepton Beauchamp. Land off Piece Lane, on the northern edge of the village, between Ilminster and South Petherton, has been earmarked for the development. Six of the homes will be affordable and managed by the Abri Housing Association.

The catering team at Yeovil Hospital has won a top award for the food it serves. At the Public Sector Catering Awards 2025, they were presented with an Exemplar Status Award by NHS England.

One hundred and twenty meters of hedging in Ilminster will be removed if plans are approved to build houses off Canal Way. Developers Persimmon Homes South West want to take down the hedging, close to the Meadows Medical Centre, to make way for a new access road to the development. Somerset Council is expected to make a decision on the application by the autumn.

Year Four pupils at Herne View Primary School in Ilminster have been presented with dictionaries by the local Rotary Club. Staff at the school have thanked members of Ilminster Rotary Club for their support, helping to encourage learning both in and outside the classroom.

More from News

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