Tuesday 5th August

Tuesday, 5 August 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A college merger in Somerset has created one of the largest education groups in the UK. People in Somerset are being encouraged to report drivers who misuse disabled parking bays. A D-Day veteran from Somerset is celebrating his 100th birthday this week...and more

A college merger in Somerset has created one of the largest education groups in the UK. Bridgwater and Taunton College and Strode College have joined forces to form the University Somerset College Group, in a move aimed at enhancing educational and employment opportunities across the region.

People in Somerset are being encouraged to report drivers who misuse disabled parking bays at supermarkets. The charity Disabled Motoring UK has launched a survey to assess the difficulties faced by disabled drivers when trying to access suitable parking.

A website has been set up with details of around 40 suspects still wanted across five police areas, including in Somerset, in connection with the Southport Riots. Police want to speak to several people they suspect of taking part in rioting, not just in Southport but in other towns and cities, following the murders of three girls at a dance class in Southport.

Land to complete Chard's long-awaited relief road will be protected under revised plans for a new housing development. The relief road is intended to take pressure off the Convent Link junction and enable new homes to be built within the Chard eastern development area, but so far, only one section has been delivered, between the A30 and Chard Reservoir as part of the Oaklands development. Now, revised plans for a new housing development have set aside land for the northernmost section of the relief road, with Somerset Council expected to decide on the plans before the end of the year.

A Somerset farmer has taken to using social media to show how the industry works, warts and all. Dom Northmore from Lane End Farm at Axbridge regularly posts behind-the-scenes footage on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok of life on his farm. Dom says he wants to improve people’s understanding of farming and its challenges.

A D-Day veteran from Somerset is celebrating his 100th birthday this week. Donald Butt, who lives in West Pennard, was a Royal Marine in WW2 and fought on Juno Beach.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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