Somerset Council says 900 miles of the County’s roads will be gritted on a regular basis this winter. Work will start soon to strengthen Chard Reservoir to protect local communities from flooding. The first advent calendar produced by the charity Mind in Somerset has gone on sale...and more
Somerset Council says 900 miles of the County’s roads will be gritted regularly this winter. In our area, this includes the A3088 Cartgate Link Road between Yeovil and the A303. The A358 between Chard and Williton (via Ilminster and Taunton). The A359 between Yeovil and Frome (via Sparkford, Castle Cary and Bruton) and the A371 between Wincanton and Cheddar (via Shepton Mallet and Wells). Around one-fifth of Somerset's road network will be treated, with the council prioritising major commuter routes, along with main routes to schools, hospitals and other medical facilities, and interchanges with bus and rail services.
Work will start soon strengthening Chard Reservoir to protect local communities from flooding. The scheme will involve building a low wall along one section of the reservoir to reduce the risk of the reservoir failing. Somerset Council says the chances of flood waters overflowing and leading to a failure of the dam in any given year is approximately one in 5,000, whereas, with the wall in place, this reduces to about 1 in 400,000. The scheme will be phased, with work on culverts taking place before Christmas, and work on building the wall likely to start in the New Year.
Somerset Community Foundation has started its annual Surviving Winter appeal. Every year the foundation grants money to pensioners on the lowest incomes in Somerset to help with energy costs through winter. Last year it raised more than 150 thousand pounds.
The first advent calendar produced by the charity Mind in Somerset has gone on sale. They're hoping the calendar will raise money for mental health services which they say come under greater pressure during the winter months.
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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