Wednesday 11th October

Wednesday, 11 October 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil Town Council has voted to give financial support to the £30 million project to upgrade Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. Yeovil Hospital is running a study to test whether hypnosis could benefit patients. The railway line between Yeovil Junction and Axminster will be closed for five days next month. A Wincanton butcher has been chosen to be a housemate on the new series of the TV reality show Big Brother...and more

Yeovil Town Council has voted to give financial support to the multi-million-pound project to upgrade Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. At a special meeting of the Town Council held last night at the Westland entertainment venue attended by around 300 members of the public, twelve councillors voted in favour and two against the Council giving money to the £30 million project that has run into difficulties due to increased building costs and higher interest rates. Leader of the Town Council, Graham Oakes, says the Council will work in partnership with Somerset Council to find ways to fund the scheme and will be asking parish and town councils to contribute to the Octagon upgrade. Meanwhile, Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh, who attended last night’s meeting, is offering to work with the Town Council and Somerset Council to help build a new theatre for Yeovil but says not on the current Octagon site. He wants a new theatre built on the former cattle market site off Reckleford and will work with the government to take the idea forward.

Yeovil Hospital is running a study to test whether hypnosis could benefit patients. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit patients who’ve undergone surgery to take part in the trial to check if it helps with their pain and overall recovery.

Local councillor, Oliver Patrick, has lodged a formal objection to permanently closing Chinnock Hollow which links East Chinnock and Odcombe. Somerset Council says it couldn’t justify spending £2.7 million to reopen the road that was shut in 2021 following a landslide. The Council has applied for an order to keep the road permanently closed. Councillor Patrick believes it could be safely reopened with reduced width, temporary traffic lights and concrete barriers to protect road users.

The railway line between Yeovil Junction and Axminster will be closed for five days next month. From Monday, November 6th to Friday, November 10th, a replacement bus service will operate between the two stations. A second 16-day closure between Yeovil Junction and Salisbury will take place from Saturday, November 26th to Sunday, December 10th. Network Rail says the closures are needed for engineering work to take place.

A Wincanton butcher is aiming to win big on the new series of Big Brother that has re-launched on ITV. Tom, who’s 21, and works at Andrew Barclay Butchers in Wincanton is one of the housemates on the reality TV show, hoping to take home the £100,000 top prize.

More from News

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