Thursday 7th March

Thursday, 7 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The number of people killed in road accidents in Somerset last year was the highest for a decade. The public toilets in Yeovil bus station will shut at the end of the month as part of cost-cutting measures at Somerset Council. An event celebrating cultural diversity in Chard is being held this weekend...and more.

The number of people killed in accidents on Somerset’s roads last year was the highest for a decade. Thirty people died in 2023, a forty per cent increase on 2022. The high number of fatalities has been attributed to drink and drug driving, careless or inconsiderate driving, speeding, using a mobile phone while driving, and not wearing a seat belt. The Road Safety team at Somerset Council has now launched a new awareness campaign, aimed at making Somerset’s roads safer.

A council-run plant nursery in Yeovil is to close at the end of the month as part of cost-cutting measures at Somerset Council. The primary function of the nursery on the Lufton Trading Estate is to grow bedding plants for public parks and displays in Yeovil town centre. Meanwhile, Somerset Council is closing the public toilets in Yeovil Bus Station. Yeovil Town Council has been asked to take on running the toilets but has yet to make a firm decision.

Taunton Town Football Club says it’s facing a new winding-up order, due to the poor state of the club’s finances. With several home games rained off in the past few weeks, income has gone down and player’s wages have not been paid in full.

The production company behind the TV show Junior Bake Off says it's looking for applicants from Somerset for the next series. Love Productions, which is also behind the Great British Bake Off, says it would like to hear from boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 who have a love of baking. The deadline for applications is March 17th.

Australian cricketer Matt Renshaw has been signed by Somerset County Cricket Club for the 2024 season, marking his third stint at the club. He's played a total of 14 test matches for Australia and while playing for Somerset averaged a best of 146 runs.

An event celebrating cultural diversity in Chard is being held this weekend. Chard Together, featuring art, music, dance, and cuisine from around the world is a free event and takes place at The Guildhall across the day on Saturday.

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