Wednesday 15th October

Wednesday, 15 October 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital is to reopen within the next six months. There’s been a further delay to reopening Yeovil’s Octagon theatre. No CrossCountry trains will run through Somerset this weekend due to planned industrial action by the RMT union...and more.

There’s relief in Yeovil following news that the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital is to reopen within the next six months. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, says it plans to reopen the maternity unit, along with the Special Care Baby Unit, by April next year. Both units were closed in May following safety concerns.

There’s been a further delay to reopening Yeovil’s Octagon theatre. Somerset Council had planned to submit its business case to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, requesting £15 million to refurbish the Octagon by the end of 2025. However, the Council now states that this will not occur until the scheme to upgrade the Octagon has been granted planning permission, which is not expected until the summer of next year. The Council says it plans to submit its final business case to the DCMS by the end of 2026, with the theatre reopening in 2029.

Volunteers are needed to help maintain a cycleway linking Ilminster with Chard. It follows a decision by Sustrans, which opened the path in 2008, to stop maintaining it. The path, known as the Stop Line Way, also acts as a bridleway from Ilminster to Peasmarsh.

A new self-referral service to detect the early signs of lung cancer has been launched in Somerset. The service, which is available in
Ilminster, Chard, and Langport are aimed at patients aged 40 and above with symptoms such as a persistent cough or breathlessness.

No CrossCountry trains will run through Somerset this weekend due to planned industrial action by members of the RMT union. They’re due to walk out for 24 hours on Saturday in a dispute over pay. Passengers planning to use Cross Country services this weekend are advised to check the Cross Country website before setting off.

A road in Closworth will be shut to traffic on Friday. Yeovil Road will close at its junction with Sutton Bingham Church Lane to allow Openreach to replace a telegraph pole.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
Friday 12th June

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
Thursday 11th June

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
Wednesday 10th June

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
Tuesday 9th June

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
Monday 8th June

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.
Friday 5th June

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
Thursday 4th June

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