Thursday 6th November

Thursday, 6 November 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Supreme Court has ruled that building thousands of homes in Somerset has been "unlawfully held up". The Head of Holyrood Academy in Chard has described the building of a new primary school in the town as an ‘incredible opportunity’. A pub near Chard has been named one of the best in Britain by The Good Food Guide...and more

The Supreme Court has ruled that building thousands of homes in Somerset has been "unlawfully held up" by issues surrounding phosphate mitigation. Around 12,000 homes are currently held up by the ongoing phosphates crisis, with developers needing to secure additional mitigation to prevent any net increase in phosphates on the Somerset Levels. Developers, C. G. Fry and Sons, have been engaged in a legal battle with Somerset Council over phosphate mitigation, a challenge that was considered by the Supreme Court earlier this year. Judges have now ruled in the developer's favour, potentially unlocking thousands of new homes and creating a major shift in how phosphate mitigation is delivered in Somerset.

A man who lives in Ilton has been given a two-year suspended jail sentence for sexual offences. Appearing at Taunton Crown Court, Ricky Anderson, aged 36, was found guilty of four counts of engaging in sexual activity with a 14-year-old. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and told to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.

The Head of Holyrood Academy in Chard, Dave MacCormick, has described the building of a new primary school in the town as an ‘incredible opportunity’. The school will be built on land adjacent to Holyrood Academy in Zembard Lane and is scheduled to open by 2028. Mr MacCormick says the school, which is being delivered as part of building 2,700 new homes on the eastern side of Chard, will provide young people in the town with the best possible start in life.

Somerset’s four Pupil Referral Units are to undergo a period of change. At a meeting of Somerset Council’s Executive, it was agreed that the four PRUs should amalgamate under the management of two headteachers. Somerset Council says the re-organisation is aimed at improving the quality of alternative provision for young people in the County.

A pub near Chard says it is “delighted” after being named one of the best in Britain by The Good Food Guide. The Cotley Inn in Wambrook has been placed 80th in the guide’s list of the Top 100 Best Pubs in Britain.

St Peter’s Church at Horton has been decorated with poppies by the local Horton and District WI. Members, family, and friends of the WI have created a display featuring 1,600 poppies, with assistance from the 1st Ilton and Broadway Scout Group and the Cubs, who crafted large felt poppies and a wooden poppy emblem to be displayed in the church.

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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

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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

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