Tuesday 24th June

Tuesday, 24 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

There’s been a drop in the number of potholes being filled in on Somerset’s roads. A Somerset company has developed a new type of un-crewed helicopter. A man has cycled from Spain to Somerset to attend Glastonbury Festival...and more

There’s been a drop in the number of potholes being filled in on Somerset’s roads. In the financial year, April 2024 to April 2025, 24,483 potholes were repaired compared to 28,574 in the previous financial year. This, despite the government giving Somerset Council an extra £3.5 million to fix potholes. The Council says the figures don’t tell a full story as some roads were resurfaced rather than having potholes filled in.

A Somerset company has developed a new type of un-crewed helicopter. The aircraft designed by Certo Aerospace Limited, based in Frome, is the first in the UK to be fitted with a coaxial rotor head, allowing it to be flown remotely.

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling on the government to review how it deals with littering. He wants greater focus put on the impact of littering on public health, especially as it affects people in rural areas. Mr Dance is also asking for more investment in rural recycling infrastructure and better support for councils to enforce the existing littering laws.

Wessex Internet has secured £50 million in investment from the National Wealth Fund to expand its fibre coverage to homes and businesses. The company says the cash will be used to bring faster broadband to hard-to-reach areas, including in South Somerset.

Recycling and rubbish collections start at the earlier time of 6 am in parts of the broadcast area from today. Somerset Council says the change of start time is to avoid bin crews getting stuck in extra traffic on local roads travelling to the Glastonbury festival.

The A361 between Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury will be closed for 26 days, commencing on Sunday, 28 July. It’s to allow Wales & West Utilities to lay a new gas main at Fishers Hill and for drainage work to take place outside Millfield Prep School.

A man has cycled from Spain to Somerset to attend the Glastonbury Festival. Ollie White, who lives in Madrid, has covered 60 miles every day over the last 3 weeks and is due to arrive at Worthy Farm today. Meanwhile, the Met Office has published its 5-day forecast for Glastonbury. Tomorrow in Pilton will be cloudy with sunny intervals. Thursday will be overcast, with sunshine expected by late morning. Friday could see showers early on. Saturday and Sunday will be mostly cloudy.

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