Tuesday 7th April

Tuesday, 7 April 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council has set aside three hundred and seventy thousand pounds to keep open five leisure centres in the Mendip area. Watercombe Lane in Yeovil is set to close for thirty-one days for gas mains replacement works. It’s been announced that Martock will stage a Pride event in June...and more

Somerset Council has set aside three hundred and seventy thousand pounds to keep five leisure centres in the Mendip area open. It follows the announcement that Fusion Leisure, which operates centres in Wells, Glastonbury and Street, along with Shepton Mallet Lido, has gone into administration. Somerset Council owns sixteen leisure facilities, which are managed through contracts with various companies.

Watercombe Lane in Yeovil is set to close for thirty-one days for gas mains replacement works. The closure will affect a one hundred and sixteen metre stretch, from the junction with Preston Road to the junction with Westbourne Grove, from Monday April 13th until Wednesday May 13th. Meanwhile, a road in Montacute will close to traffic for five days later this month. Townsend will shut at its junction with Park View from Monday April 13th to Friday April 17th for Wessex Water to carry out repairs.

It’s been announced that Martock will stage a Pride event in June. Taking place on Saturday June 20th, it will be the second year the village has hosted the event, celebrating LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion.

New data shows the crane population on the Somerset Levels has risen again. The Somerset’s Levels and Moors are part of an ongoing project to increase numbers. There are now eighty-seven breeding pairs of cranes, bringing the total population across the UK to around two hundred and fifty.

Family and friends of a boy from Ilminster, who is on a waiting list for a heart transplant, have raised four thousand pounds for the hospital treating him. Cameron Manning was born with a rare heart condition affecting his ventricles and heart valves. His family, along with a group of friends, held a charity bingo event at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster, with all proceeds going to the Wallace and Gromit Children’s Unit at Bristol Children’s Hospital.

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Tuesday 15th September

Police investigating an attack on a shop worker in Yeovil have released CCTV images of a man and woman they want to speak to. Farmers in Somerset are being warned to expect more cases of bluetongue. Ilminster Carnival Committee has announced the cancellation of this year's Children's Carnival due to a lack of entries... and more
Monday 14th September

Two new mobile NHS breast screening units have taken to the road in Somerset. More than 700 new homes are to be built alongside the M5 in Bridgwater. Dawes Twineworks in West Coker is one of several venues open to the public for free this month... and more
Friday 11th September

It’s going to cost more to park in Chard. Police have issued an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with two burglaries in Yeovil. Somerset Cricket Club is planning to stage performances by some of the world's biggest artistes at their Taunton ground... and more
Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more