Somerset Council has scrapped offering free parking at its car parks this Christmas. An announcement about the future of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre is expected early in the New Year. Yeovil residents claim it is taking up to two weeks for their post to be delivered with important letters like hospital appointments arriving too late...and more.
Somerset Council has scrapped offering free parking at its car parks this Christmas. Previously, on certain days in December in the run-up to Christmas, council-owned car parks have been free to encourage shoppers into the town centre. This year, Somerset Council says the scheme, costing around £50,000 in lost revenues, is no longer affordable. Meanwhile, Somerset Council has launched a consultation asking people for suggestions on how it could cut tens of millions of pounds from its spending. It follows the Council announcing a financial emergency and needing to cut 87 million pounds from next year’s budget or risk bankruptcy.
People in Yeovil claim it’s taking up to two weeks for their post to be delivered with important letters like hospital appointments arriving too late. Some have started collecting their mail from the main sorting office in Huish. Royal Mail says it's working hard to ensure a reliable service in the run-up to Christmas, but the union representing Somerset's Royal Mail workers is blaming staff shortages for the delays.
An announcement about the future of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre is expected early in the New Year. Plans to re-build the Octagon at a cost of 32 million pounds have been delayed due to Somerset Council needing to make big savings next year. The Council’s opposition Conservative Leader, David Fothergill, has suggested that money raised through the Council selling a battery storage business could be used to fund the Octagon project.
Ilminster Arts Centre has announced the winners of its annual Children's Christmas Card Competition. The winners’ names can be viewed on the Ilminster Arts Centre website, with copies of their cards now on sale at the Arts Centre.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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