Somerset Council is taking legal action to remove an arms company from one of its commercial properties. Waste collection days across Somerset are set to change next month due to two impending bank holidays. An archaeological survey has begun on the proposed site of a new skate park in Bruton... and more.
Somerset Council is taking legal action to remove an arms company from one of its commercial properties. The council owns a number of commercial properties, the majority of which it inherited when district councils were abolished in 2023. They include offices at Aztec West in Bristol occupied by a defence contractor who, it is claimed, supplies arms to Israel. In recent weeks, Somerset Council has been targeted by the pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action for providing office accommodation to arms suppliers linked with Israel. The company at the centre of the row claims all activities from its Bristol base are geared towards supporting the British army and are not related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
Waste collection days across Somerset are set to change next month due to two impending bank holidays. During the weeks beginning Monday, May 6th, and Monday, May 27th, recycling, refuse and garden waste collections will be one day later than usual. Somerset’s recycling sites will be open as usual from 9 am to 4 pm on weekends, and if opening on a Monday is part of their normal opening pattern, they will be open on both Bank Holiday Mondays from 9 am to 6 pm.
Street Football Club has been given permission to sell alcohol and hold events until 1 am on Friday and Saturday nights. The Club had asked Somerset Council to amend its existing licence, allowing it to sell alcohol and play music until late into the night at its Tannery ground on Middle Brooks. Despite objections from residents, the Council's licensing sub-committee East voted to grant the new licence after receiving assurances from both the Club and the Police.
An archaeological survey has begun on the proposed site for building a new skate park in Bruton. Final approval for the skate park in Jubilee Park still has to be given, with £87,000 raised so far to pay for it.
Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced plans to develop a new operational base on the Leonardo airfield in Yeovil. Several people have been rescued from their homes in Ilminster due to flooding. An £800,000 project is underway to restore two staircases at Montecute House...and more
Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more
A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more
New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.
A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more
Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more
Citizens Advice says thousands of people in Somerset have lost some or all of their council tax discount. The UK's first autonomous full-size helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo in Yeovil, has successfully completed its maiden flight. A new pharmacy has opened in Wincanton...and more