Tuesday 17th June

Tuesday, 17 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

People across Somerset are being encouraged to record local wildlife as part of 'The Big Count' project, monitoring changes in the diversity and abundance of wildlife in the County. A further £1 million is being spent improving flood defences in Somerset. A Yeovil care worker has been honoured for her work at a ceremony in London...and more

People across Somerset are being encouraged to record local wildlife to help protect local animal and bird life. Somerset Wildlife Trust says 'The Big Count' needs as many people as possible to record wildlife in local gardens, parks, and community green spaces to monitor changes in the diversity and abundance of wildlife in the County.

A further £1 million is being spent on improving flood defences in Somerset. Somerset Rivers Authority and the Environment Agency are improving the riverbanks and removing silt on the River Sowy to ensure water can flow more quickly. £900,000 is being spent on raising the riverbanks on the Sowy, with the remainder allocated to farmers to cover the costs of local flooding prevention schemes.

Somerset Council is reminding people that they have until August 8th to comment on plans to merge Huish Episcopi Parish Council and Langport Town Council into a single new parish council covering the same area. A final decision will be made by Somerset Council’s Constitution and Governance Committee in September, with the change likely to take effect in April 2027

A care worker from Yeovil has been honoured at a ceremony in London. Kim Retter has been given a lifetime achievement award at the Housing with Care Awards.

Nominations are now open for the 2025 Youth Parliament Elections in Somerset. It’s open to young people aged 11–17 years who live in and attend school or college in the County. Somerset Youth Parliament is a space for young people to learn new skills, grow confidence, share their views, and get involved in current issues to make a difference.

A set of Somerset church bells that have been silent for more than 100 years have rung out once again. The bell mechanism at St Andrew's Church in Compton Dundon fell into disrepair in the 1900s, and by 1935, the bells were 'hung dead' in a fixed position facing down. But now, after a six-year campaign by villagers to raise £160,000, the bells have been brought back to life.

More from News

Friday 12th June

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
Thursday 11th June

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
Wednesday 10th June

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
Tuesday 9th June

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
Monday 8th June

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.
Friday 5th June

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
Thursday 4th June

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
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more