Tuesday 29th July

Tuesday, 29 July 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Parents in Somerset are being advised not to leave their children unsupervised with pets. Somerset Council says it's dealing with a backlog of sixteen hundred planning applications. Ninety thousand pounds has been raised so far for Somerset Community Foundation’s appeal supporting people affected by last week’s coach crash in West Somerset...and more

Parents in Somerset are being advised not to leave their children unsupervised with pets. The warning from the Pet Education Partnership follows new research showing that one in five children in the South West have been bitten by an animal, with four out of ten incidents requiring medical attention.

Somerset Council says it's taking "critical action" to reduce a backlog of sixteen hundred planning applications, partly caused by problems in recruiting and retaining staff. The measures, which include instructing customers not to contact the planning department for updates, are aimed at freeing up officers' time so that they can focus on processing applications.

£90,000 has been raised so far for Somerset Community Foundation’s appeal supporting people affected by last week’s coach crash in West Somerset. Oliver Price, aged 10, was killed and 22 passengers were injured when the vehicle overturned as it returned to Minehead Middle School from a school trip on 17th July.

A Wincanton man has appeared in court charged with assault. Elliott Houghton, aged 25, of Saunters Close, was accused of punching two other men in a fight in January earlier this year. Appearing in court in Yeovil, Houghton was given a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £200 compensation to both complainants.

An event celebrating culture in Chard starts today. The Chard Heritage, Arts, and Music Festival offers a range of events and activities for families at various venues across the town, running for five days. Tonight’s offering is a talk by David Knapman on the subject of brush making. Events are being held every day up to Sunday, when the festival will end with an exploration of the Lace Riots in Chard.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
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