Wednesday 12th March

Wednesday, 12 March 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

A charity in Somerset is appealing for support after one of its sites was vandalised. The Leader of Somerset Council has been to Westminster to put the case for central government to provide councils with more money. A new primary school is to built-in Chard...and more

A charity in Somerset is appealing for support after one of its sites was vandalised. Brainwave says its Therapy Assessment Centre in Bridgwater was targeted with paint last weekend. A car also had its windows smashed.

The Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, joined other local government leaders at Westminster yesterday to put the case for central government to provide local councils with better funding. Cllr Revans told the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee that funding from central government to Somerset Council had almost halved in recent years – down by 40 per cent – and that it was not realistic to expect Council Tax income to pay for essential services such as social care for adults and children.

Somerset Council is planning to spend 2 million pounds extending Herne View Church of England Primary School in Ilminster. The school is being enlarged to provide spaces for children living on the new Canal Way housing development. Once extended, Herne View will have accommodation for 600 children with the cost of the work recouped from local housing developments, including Canal Way. Meanwhile, a new primary school is due to open in Chard by late 2027. The new school is planned as part of the Chard Eastern Development Area that lies between the A358 Tatworth Road and the A30 Crewkerne Road where up to 2,700 new homes could be built. But Somerset Council says a site within the CEDA has yet to be allocated, and that an alternative site may have to be found.

A path that runs alongside the Canal in Ilminster will stay shut again today. Ilminster Town Council says the path, next to the Archie Gooch Pavilion, will stay closed until late Thursday for the removal of three Ash trees that are showing signs of Ash dieback.

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