Tuesday 16th April

Tuesday, 16 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A new operator has been found to run a Chard care home that has been at risk of closure. A licence has been granted to run a new music festival in West Dorset. People have until midnight tonight to register for a vote in the election for a Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset...and more.

A new operator has been found to run Sunnymeade Care Home in Chard which had been at risk of closure. Somerset Council announced in February plans to shut the home saying it was no longer financially viable. Now, Agincare (Somerset) Limited has stepped in to take over its running, together with Critchill Court Care Home in Frome which was also at risk of closure. Agincare says they will invest in both homes to ensure their long-term future, and safeguard jobs.

A licence has been granted to run a new music festival in West Dorset, despite local objections. The first Dorsom Music Festival is planned for next year at Seaborough Manor Farm in Beaminster with 10,000 revellers attending. Local residents claim the country lanes leading to the festival site are difficult to access and for that reason wanted the licence application rejected.

Chard Guildhall will be lit up green this weekend to promote the Samaritans as the official charity of this year’s London Marathon. The suicide prevention charity says the aim of partnering with the London Marathon is to tackle the stigma around suicide and encourage the public to play a greater part in suicide prevention.

Yeovil-based, Milsted Langdon, has been shortlisted for a national award. The accountancy firm, who also have offices in Bath, Bristol, Taunton, and London, is in the running to win the title of 'Best Tax Practice in a Regional Firm' at the Tolley’s Taxation Awards, being held in London on May 16th.

Castle Cary Museum is holding its annual meeting today. It takes place at The Market House starting at 3 pm with friends of the museum and supporters invited to attend.

People have until midnight tonight to register for a vote in the upcoming election for the post of Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. The role of the PCC is to set the police budget and hold the Chief Constable and Avon and Somerset force to account.

More from News

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
Monday 20th October

Somerton and Glastonbury MP, Sarah Dyke, says the government needs to get an urgent grip on the worsening dentistry situation in her constituency. Bridgwater Town Council has criticised plans by the Somerset Council to charge for Sunday parking. Somerset Council’s Libraries service has launched its Winter Coat Exchange scheme for a third year...and more
Friday 17th October

A new £7 million primary school and nursery is to be built in the grounds of Holyrood Academy in Chard. A public consultation has opened into plans to merge the parishes of Ansford and Castle Cary. The nomination papers that paved the way for Margaret Thatcher to become Britain's first female Prime Minister have been uncovered in a Somerset garage...and more
Thursday 16th October

Two mothers in Chard are calling on carnival organisers to make carnivals more accessible to children with special educational needs. 4,000 people have been put on a waiting list at a new NHS dental practice in Somerset. Channel 4’s ‘Love It or List It’ is looking to feature properties in Somerset in a new series... and more
Wednesday 15th October

The maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital is to reopen within the next six months. There’s been a further delay to reopening Yeovil’s Octagon theatre. No CrossCountry trains will run through Somerset this weekend due to planned industrial action by the RMT union...and more.