Tuesday 31st March

Tuesday, 31 March 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to install solar panels on the roof of the Octagon Theatre. Three men have been charged in connection with an investigation into a hunt in Somerset. Changes have been announced to the times of waste collections in Somerset over the Easter holidays... and more

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to install solar panels on the roof of the Octagon Theatre under its impending £15m regeneration. Planning permission was granted in February to update the theatre, which includes significant improvements to the auditorium and backstage area. However, the new theatre will not include solar panels or heat pumps due to a lack of funds. Somerset Council is expected to appoint a contractor to carry out the work by November, with construction beginning in January 2027.

Three men have been charged in connection with an investigation into a hunt in Somerset. Ross Cordery, from Highbridge; Wayne Greggory, from Taunton; and James Parish, from Uffculme in Devon, have all been charged under the Hunting Act 2004 with hunting a wild mammal with dogs. It follows an investigation by the Rural Crime Team into a planned hunt by the Vale of Taunton and Banwell Harriers Hunt in November last year.

The Environment Agency says it is looking into installing permanent pumps at 11 new locations on the Somerset Levels. It follows pressure on the agency from the Somerset Drainage Board Consortium for further permanent pumps on the Levels to prevent a repeat of this winter’s severe flooding. The Flooding on the Levels Action Group has also called for more permanent pumps to be installed, rather than relying on the Environment Agency to bring in temporary pumps.

People living in Milborne Port say new charges introduced by Dorset Council to use the recycling centre at Sherborne are unfair. It is only four miles from where they live, whereas the nearest recycling centre run by Somerset Council—to whom they pay council tax—is 11 miles away in Yeovil. The new charge of £8.50 per visit at the Sherborne site came into effect this week.

Changes have been announced to the times of waste collections in Somerset over the Easter holidays. Collections due on Good Friday, April 3, will instead take place on Saturday, April 4. No collections will take place on Easter Monday, April 6th. During the following week, all collections will take place one day later than usual. Recycling sites will move to new opening times of 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm at weekends from Wednesday, April 1st.

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Wednesday 30th September

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