Tuesday 23rd September

Tuesday, 23 September 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Two cars have been destroyed by fire in Martock. A Somerset cider maker says it's expecting a record-breaking apple crop this year. The Woodland Trust has awarded Manor Court Primary School in Chard a Gold Standard...and more.

Two cars have been destroyed by fire in Martock, with two other vehicles affected by heat damage. It happened in the early hours of Sunday. The cause of the blaze is unknown. No one was injured.

A Somerset cider maker says they're expecting a record-breaking apple crop this year, thanks to the long, hot summer. Cider producers, Showerings, say it's expecting a “monster crop” of up to 2,500 tonnes of apples. Last year, 1,000 tonnes of apples were harvested by Showerings.

A date has been set to merge the two parishes in South Somerset. If all goes to plan, Castle Cary Town Council and Ansford Parish Council will become one entity by the next local elections in May 2027. Formal consultations are now underway, with the merger to be adopted by the end of 2026, ahead of the local elections the following May.

Shepton Mallet business owner and disabled campaigner Josh Wintersgill has criticised changes to a government scheme that supports people like him. Josh, who’s reliant on a wheelchair, is supported with his business through the Access to Work scheme. But Josh says changes to the scheme have left him worse off.

A post office in Yeovil will shut for six weeks next month for an upgrade. Westfield Post Office on Stiby Road will close on Thursday, October 16th and re-open on Friday, November 28th. During the closure, customers should use the Orchard Street Post Office at Huish and the Sandhurst Road Post Office in West Coker.

The Woodland Trust has awarded Manor Court Primary School in Chard a Gold Standard. It’s in recognition of work by an after-school nature club that’s planted hedges and trees, cleared a pond to encourage wildlife, and run a successful anti-litter poster campaign.

More from News

Thursday 25th September

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident in Chard involving a car that was being chased by police. A new NHS eye treatment service has opened in Yeovil. People are being asked to help write a new Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Somerset...and more
Wednesday 24th September

Yeovil Town says the sudden departure of manager Danny Webb won't affect the club's long-term plans. The Somerset family of a teenage boy with special educational needs say they can’t afford to pay for the specialist transport he needs to take him to school. A Reform UK candidate has won a by-election for a seat on Chard Town Council...and more.
Monday 22nd September

Yeovil Town’s recently appointed new manager, Danny Webb, has resigned from the role after only one game in charge. Workers at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil are threatening to walk out in a dispute over pay. Plans to build up to 765 new homes at Up Mudford on the outskirts of Yeovil could be halted by a judicial review... and more
Friday 19th September

An inquest has been told that gaps were left in the medical assessment of a local man who died after falling out of bed at Yeovil Hospital. NHS Somerset says a new dental practice in Wellington will be accepting NHS patients from October. Somerset Council is offering grants of up to £15,000 to businesses, aimed at reducing their carbon footprint...and more.
Thursday 18th September

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road accident in Chard in which a 13-year-old boy fell from an e-scooter. People in Somerset are being asked for their views on building a second reservoir in Cheddar. A new exhibition celebrating 200 years of shoemaking in Somerset opens in Street today...and more.
Wednesday 17th September

The Environment Agency is being urged to rethink its decision to stop maintaining smaller rivers and streams in Somerset. South Western Railway, which runs trains through Sherborne, Yeovil and Crewkerne, has issued body cameras to more of its staff. Twelve new neighbourhood officers have joined Avon and Somerset Police...and more
Tuesday 17th September

Plans have been submitted to build 61 new homes between Montacute and Stoke-sub-Hamdon. Organisers of Langport Triathlon say it’ll be a few more days before they’re able to give out the results in the cycling section following a medical emergency in the crowd at Sunday's event. A new town crier is wanted in Wells...and more.
Monday 15th September

NHS Somerset says it’s 'fully committed' to re-opening maternity services at Yeovil Hospital, but won't say when it will reopen. Water levels at Somerset's reservoirs have dropped below 50%, despite the recent heavy rain. A charity shop in Martock has reunited a long-lost compass with its owner after he lost it 70 years ago...and more