Tuesday 12th August

Tuesday, 12 August 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A new 'family style' children's home for vulnerable children has opened in Somerset. Railway services between Yeovil and Exeter will run less frequently and at a slower speed from this week. A Crewkerne man has been given a one-year driving ban for drug driving. Chard Town Council says the public toilets near Sainsbury’s have been deep cleaned in preparation for re-opening them...and more.

A new 'family style' children's home for vulnerable children has opened in Somerset; the eighth of its kind in the county. The ‘Family style’ homes provide wraparound care for up to three vulnerable children. It’s a concept, pioneered by Somerset Council, that’s now being rolled out in other local authority areas.

Railway services between Yeovil and Exeter will run less frequently and at a slower speed from this week. The track on the Waterloo to Exeter line has been impacted by the hot weather, meaning that trains have to travel more slowly. Trains will, however, now stop at Crewkerne station.

Chard Town Council says the public toilets near Sainsbury’s have been deep cleaned in preparation for reopening them. The Town Council has taken over running the toilets in the Bath Street car park and has appointed a contractor to clean them daily, but hasn’t given a date when they will re-open.

A Crewkerne man has been given a one-year driving ban for drug driving. Pleading guilty to the charge before a Judge in Yeovil, Christopher Baker, aged 30, of Ivel Way in Crewkerne, also admitted driving without insurance or a licence in Crewkerne in January, earlier this year. Apart from the driving ban, Baker was fined £120 along with a £120 surcharge and £40 costs.

Somerset Council is holding a series of information days to recruit more foster families for children in care. One of the events is being held in Somerton next month, offering local people the chance to learn what fostering really involves. Full details and booking information can be found at somerset.gov.uk/fostering.

Toy chain, The Entertainer, which has a store on Middle Street in Yeovil, is handing over control of the business to its employees. In future, the company will be run by an employee trust, with staff getting a share of the profits and a say in how the business operates.

More from News

Monday 11th August

Bus drivers with First Bus in Somerset are being balloted about possible strike action. Six thousand pounds has been raised towards repairing a boat, used for sightseeing trips on the River Parrett in Langport, after vandals damaged it. A hedgehog rescue charity in Somerset is facing closure due to a lack of funds...and more
Friday 8th August

Somerset Council has paused roadworks on Fore Street in Chard indefinitely due to unforeseen complications. A Somerset farming family says they've lost faith in the government over plans to introduce inheritance tax on farm estates. Memories are being revived of a Live Aid concert in Yeovil from 40 years ago, which raised money for famine relief in Ethiopia.
Thursday 7th August

The owners of Yeovil Town Football Club say that they are hopeful of concluding a deal with Somerset Council to buy back Huish Park very soon. Hestercombe House and Gardens near Taunton has gone into administration. The Government is eyeing up the possibility of using brownfield land near railway lines in Somerset for house building...and more
Wednesday 6th August

A fire at the former Mermaid Hotel in Yeovil town centre is being treated as accidental. People with premium bonds in Somerset are being encouraged to check their numbers as over 800-thousand pounds of prizes remain unclaimed. Chard is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day later this month...and more.
Tuesday 5th August

A college merger in Somerset has created one of the largest education groups in the UK. People in Somerset are being encouraged to report drivers who misuse disabled parking bays. A D-Day veteran from Somerset is celebrating his 100th birthday this week...and more
Monday 4th August

The planned £15m regeneration of Yeovil's Octagon Theatre has been delayed again. A case of the most serious strain of Avian Flu has been confirmed in Yeovil. The main A378 road through Langport will be shut to traffic from today and for the next four weeks...and more.
Friday 1st August

A family in Marston Magna is trying to get a relative home from a holiday in Greece, where he's been taken seriously ill. The fire service is warning of the dangers of leaving mirrors in view of direct sunlight. Residents in Touchstone Lane in Chard have started a new community speed watch group...and more
Thursday 31st July

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.