Wednesday 14th May

Wednesday, 14 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Labour Ward and Special Care Baby Unit at Yeovil Hospital is closing for six months following safety concerns. Chard Youth Centre says it will be heartbreaking if it has to close. The road between Ilminster and Chard at Dowlish Ford is shut to traffic again today. People in Somerset are being advised to wear sunglasses to protect their eyesight during the current sunny weather...and more

The Labour Ward and Special Care Baby Unit at Yeovil Hospital is closing for six months following safety concerns. It follows an inspection by the Care Quality Commission that found paediatric services in Yeovil required “significant improvement”. The town’s MP, Adam Dance, has criticised Somerset NHS Foundation Trust for failing to commit that maternity services at Yeovil Hospital will return to normal after the 6-month shutdown.

Chard Youth Centre says it will be heartbreaking if it has to close. The centre, which has been in existence for 70 years, plans to shut in July. The Chard Area Youth Committee says it can no longer afford to fund the youth centre.

The road between Ilminster and Chard at Dowlish Ford is shut to traffic again today. This is to allow Wessex Water to carry out essential repairs. First Bus says that because of the closure, services to Listers Hill, Kingstone Turn, Dowlish Ford, and Sea Mills are not running.

A pub in South Petherton has just missed out on winning the title: Somerset Real Ale Pub of the Year. The Brewers Arms in South Petherton was named runner-up in the Somerset CAMRA Pub of the Year 2025 competition.

A patient at St Margaret’s Hospice has had her final wish granted: having a donkey brought to her bedside. St Margaret's says Britney, the donkey, provided Jacqui with comfort after being taken to the hospice by her owner, Richard Norman.

People in Somerset are being warned to protect their eyesight during the current sunny weather. A local eye specialist is advising people to wear sunglasses in bright sunshine, as the sun can cause lasting damage.

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Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
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