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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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