Wednesday 11th June

Wednesday, 11 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

People in Somerset are being asked for their views on the state of the county’s roads and footpaths. A trial is being conducted at Yeovil Hospital to investigate whether administering shorter courses of antibiotics to patients can effectively treat sepsis. Somerset Council says it has no plans to reopen a block of public toilets in Chard...and more.

People in Somerset are being asked for their views on the state of the county’s roads and footpaths. Questionnaires will be sent to 3,000 residents to compile the National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction survey. This year’s survey, involving 111 local councils, offers an opportunity to compare results and identify areas for local authorities to collaborate in the future.

A trial is being conducted at Yeovil Hospital to investigate whether administering shorter courses of antibiotics to patients can effectively treat sepsis in critical care patients. The trial is being carried out with local support by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Somerset Council says it has no plans to re-open a block of public toilets in Chard. The Council shut the toilets near Sainsbury’s in April, saying they could no longer afford to keep them open. Somerset Council states that it is open to working with a third party to take over the lease and reopen the toilets at a later date.

Driving instructors in Somerset say the DVSA needs to improve its system for booking a driving test. Currently, it can take up to 24 weeks to schedule a test date. For some learners in Somerset, November is the earliest date being offered to take a driving test.

And at the age of 91, a Chard man has raised £4,000 abseiling 20 meters at a quarry in Winscombe. Dick Arnold, a member of the Chard Rotary Club, completed the challenge at Sandford Quarry, raising funds for Tearfund, a charity working to combat global poverty. Dick, who’d previously abseiled when he was 70 and then again aged 80 and now aged 91, says his ambition of completing three abseils has been achieved.

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Wednesday 29th October

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Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more