Wednesday 11th December

Wednesday, 11 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

An open letter has been sent to NHS Somerset asking for a revision of the decision to close the emergency stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset residents, whose lives and property were impacted by Storm Darragh, could be entitled to compensation. Haselbury Mill, near Crewkerne, has been sold for an undisclosed price...and more.

An open letter signed by eight patient groups has been sent to NHS Somerset asking for a revision of the decision to close the emergency stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. NHS Somerset’s Integrated Care Board members voted to shut the unit in January, sparking a campaign of fierce opposition. Closing the Yeovil unit would mean people needing urgent treatment for a stroke being taken by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton or the County Hospital in Dorchester.

People in Somerset, whose lives and property were impacted by Storm Darragh, could be entitled to compensation, according to Somerset's Citizen's Advice. They say those who might qualify include people who were forced into temporary accommodation
because their homes were flooded or suffered structural damage.

Somerset Council will be launching a Call for Sites in the New Year. The Call for Sites is a six-week period where landowners and developers are invited to submit land for possible development. Submissions can be for various uses including housing, economic development, gypsy and traveller pitches, and renewable energy installations.

Haselbury Mill, near Crewkerne, has a new owner. The leisure venue includes a 21-bed hotel, a Tithe Barn, a lakeside restaurant and pub, set within 13 acres, has been bought by a private individual for an undisclosed price.

People in Somerset who lost their recycling bins in the recent storms are being asked to go online to order a new bin. Somerset Council says ordering online will help to take pressure off its customer service team.

More from News

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