Tuesday 12th December

Tuesday, 12 December 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

South Western Ambulance say they have more staff and vehicles at their disposal going into this winter, than they did going into the previous two winters. The rail line between Yeovil and Exeter remains closed again today following last week's landslip near Crewkerne Tunnel. A decision is expected before Christmas on whether a new football stadium will be built in Chard...and more.

South Western Ambulance say they have more staff and vehicles at their disposal going into this winter, than they did going into the previous two winters. To help with the expected higher demand, they’re asking people to only dial 999 in life-threatening situations.

Nearly a week after bad weather caused a landslip at the entrance to Crewkerne Tunnel the rail line between Yeovil and Exeter remains closed. It follows delays caused by the wet conditions removing around 300 tonnes of debris from near the tunnel. The line between Yeovil and Salisbury reopened yesterday but the section between Yeovil and Exeter isn’t expected to reopen until tomorrow.

A decision is expected before Christmas on whether a new football stadium and nearly 300 new homes should be built in Chard. The development, including a new ground for Chard Town Football Club, would be built on land between Thorndun Park Drive and Crimchard, on the northern edge of Chard. Access to the homes and stadium would be from Thorndun Park Drive, with existing footpaths, including the link around Chard Bowls Club, being enhanced. Somerset Council's Planning Committee South is due to meet to discuss the plans on Tuesday, December 19th.

The mother of Tobias Turley from Street, who won the ITV series 'Mamma Mia I Have a Dream' says her son winning the competition has been an incredible achievement. Tobias, who’s 23, will now play the lead role of Sky, alongside fellow winner Stevie Doc, who'll play Sophie in the West End production of the ABBA musical.

Money is being raised to build a heritage centre in Ilminster. The town’s History Society which gathers information and documents about Ilminster’s history is looking for a permanent place to store its collection. It’s planning several events to raise the £10,000 needed to fund the project.

Members of 1st Ilminster Scouts have been learning about the workings of local government as part of UK Parliament Week. During a visit to Ilminster Town Council, the scouts took part in a mock council meeting, acting in the role of councillors, with the Mayor, Councillor Leanne Taylor, and the Town Clerk, Mark Tredwin, overseeing the proceedings.

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Monday 16th June

The new owner of Yeovil Town says he’s in talks with Somerset Council about buying back Huish Park. Water levels at some of Somerset’s reservoirs are below what they should be for this time of year. A Chard woman has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours... and more.
Friday 13th June

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Chard, which left one person with life-threatening injuries. Texas Rocks in Middle Street, Yeovil, has closed temporarily following a significant fire. A Yeovil dental hygienist has been named as a finalist in the Ms Great Britain competition...and more.
Thursday 12th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised the Chancellor’s Spending Review for not delivering real change for Yeovil and South Somerset. The CEO of Leonardo UK states that they’re working towards closing the gender pay gap within the company. Yeovil Town is relocating its first-team training camp to Bristol... and more.
Wednesday 11th June

People in Somerset are being asked for their views on the state of the county’s roads and footpaths. A trial is being conducted at Yeovil Hospital to investigate whether administering shorter courses of antibiotics to patients can effectively treat sepsis. Somerset Council says it has no plans to reopen a block of public toilets in Chard...and more.
Tuesday 10th June

A mother from Chard says schools need to do more to identify students with dyslexia. A fire in a van that caught alight at Stoke-sub-Hamdon is being treated as accidental. A former Yeovil-based police officer, who made it appear he was working when he wasn’t, has been barred from policing...and more
Monday 9th June

Somerset Council is giving £1.5m to Hill View Special School at Ash near Martock to prevent it from closing. Two men have been convicted of killing a Yeovil man they mistakenly believed to be a convicted paedophile. People across Somerset are being asked to make a note of any wildlife they see...and more
Friday 6th June

Community Speedwatch volunteers in Keinton Mandeville have stopped monitoring the local traffic because of online and verbal abuse. Redstart Primary School in Chard has been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted. A care home resident in Glastonbury has raised more than one thousand pounds for Children's Hospice Southwest by knitting soft toys...and more.
Thursday 5th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he’s been told the temporary closure of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital will not be made permanent. Firefighters have dealt with a fire on a coach carrying passengers at Vagg Hill in Yeovil. The authorities in Chile are holding a man who lives in Milborne Port after being found with class-A drugs in a suitcase...and more.