Tuesday 10th October

Tuesday, 10 October 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A meeting of Yeovil Town Council, postponed from last week, is being held tonight to discuss giving financial support to the £30 million project to upgrade Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The go-ahead has been given to open a new car dealership on the site of the old Globe Cinema at Lufton in Yeovil. A Yeovil Town councillor is fighting to have the Yeovil Bus Depot building in Reckleford officially listed in a bid to stop it from being demolished...and more.

A meeting of Yeovil Town Council is being held tonight to discuss giving financial support to the £30 million project to upgrade Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The meeting was due to be held last Tuesday but had to be postponed when the Town House was not big enough to accommodate all the people who wanted to attend. Tonight’s meeting, which is open to the public, is being held at the Westland’s Entertainment venue, starting at 7.30 pm.

Plans have been submitted to build a new 20-bed Orthopaedic Ward at Yeovil Hospital. The unit would be built on the roof of the main hospital building with £15 million given by the government to fund the scheme. The application comes amid a period of growth at Yeovil Hospital with a separate planning application recently submitted to build a new three-storey diagnostic and outpatient centre on the car park site.

A Yeovil Town councillor is fighting to have the Yeovil Bus Depot building in Reckleford officially listed in a bid to stop it being demolished. The red brick building was once part of the Nautilus Works factory owned by the Petters family that made engines during World War One. Owners, First Bus, say they no longer have a use for the building and want it knocked down to clear the site for selling. Independent member of Yeovil Town Council, Tareth Casey says he’s speaking to Historic England and Somerset Council about listing the building which would mean it could not be demolished.

The go-ahead has been given to open a new car dealership on the site of the old Globe Cinema at Lufton in Yeovil. The dealership, run by the Howards Motor Group, includes two showrooms, a workshop, and a MOT bay.

People campaigning for improvements to bus services in Somerset have welcomed the decision to keep £1 and £2 cheap fares in place until the end of 2024. Peter Travis, the co-chair of the Somerset Bus Partnership passenger group, says it’s important to keep fares as low as possible for as long as possible.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more