Tuesday 3rd June

Monday, 2 June 2025 20:01

By Steve Haigh

Police say they have traced a man, believed to be a witness to an incident in Chard in which a teenager alleges she was sexually assaulted. A campaign has started aimed at cutting the number of motorcyclists, cyclists and e-scooter users killed and seriously injured on Somerset's roads. Yeovil Town Council has taken over the management of Yeovil's public parks after Somerset Council announced it could no longer afford to maintain them...and more.

Police say they’ve traced a man, believed to be a witness to an incident in Chard in which a teenager alleges she was sexually assaulted. It follows the release of a photo of the man on the Avon and Somerset Police website and an appeal broadcast on Radio Ninesprings. A man arrested on the day of the alleged offence has been released on conditional police bail while investigations continue.

A campaign has started in Somerset aimed at cutting the number of motorcyclists, cyclists and e-scooter users killed and seriously injured on local roads. There have been 28 fatal collisions involving two-wheel-powered vehicles since January 2023 in the Avon and Somerset force area. Police say they'll be carrying out extra patrols on high-risk routes, warning people of the dangers.

A new road junction linking a housing development in Crewkerne with the town’s railway station won’t be built until a third of the new homes on the site have been occupied. The development at Wool Gardens will eventually comprise 635 homes, a 66-bed care home and commercial space between the A30 Yeovil Road and the A356 Station Road. People already living at Wool Gardens currently have to use Blacknell Lane to access Station Road to reach the town centre and railway station. Developers Taylor Wimpey promised that a signal-controlled junction on Station Road, joining up with the southern end of the new link road, would be in place when 55 homes on the Wool Gardens site had been occupied. But the developer has now reached an agreement with Somerset Council to delay building the junction until 200 homes are occupied.

Yeovil Town Council has taken over the running of Yeovil’s public parks and play areas. Somerset Council had been responsible for the management of green spaces in Yeovil but devolved them to the Town Council after declaring a financial emergency.

A project is underway that aims to help endangered eels move around the Somerset Levels. Barriers can stop the creatures from reaching their natural habitat. Now, 12 passes that act as ladders have been introduced in the North Moor and King's Sedgemoor areas.

More from News

Thursday 29th January

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
Wednesday 28th January

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
Tuesday 27th January

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
Monday 26th January

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
Friday 23rd January

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.
Thursday 22nd January

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
Wednesday 21st January

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
Tuesday 20th January

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