Wednesday 16th July

Wednesday, 16 July 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A children’s play area in Ilminster has been closed on safety grounds after badger setts were found on the land. Somerset Council sold off £90m of property assets last year to help fight off bankruptcy. Crewkerne Community Hospital could be turned into a neighbourhood health centre...and more.

A children’s play area in Ilminster has been closed on safety grounds after badger setts were found on the land. Checks at the Blackdown View play park revealed that badger activity in the area was rife. Somerset Council says that, due to badgers being protected, they’re unable to take any action to prevent them from digging further holes or to fill in the ones already dug.

Somerset Council sold off £90m of property assets last year to help fight off bankruptcy. The properties, bought to provide rental incomes by Somerset’s former district councils, include an office block in Taunton, a commercial unit in Gloucester, and a factory site in West Yorkshire. Somerset Council plan to raise a further £35m from property sales by March next year.

A school in Chard has been named best in Somerset for careers education. Manor Court Community Primary School was recognised for its outstanding approach to careers learning at the Somerset 2025 Careers Awards. Manor Court Primary School is part of the Preston Primary Academy Trust.

New gypsy and traveller sites could be allocated within the new Somerset Local Plan. Somerset Council says targets to address the permanent and transit site accommodation needs of the gypsy, traveller and travelling show-people communities of Somerset will be included in the new plan.. The Council is currently securing permanent transit sites for gypsies and travellers to incorporate within the new land-use policy.

Avon and Somerset Police has renewed its appeal for the return of stolen tools seized earlier in the year to their owners. Police say they still have a large number of unclaimed tools that they want to return to their rightful owners. Anyone making an application will need to provide the crime number given when reporting the theft, as proof of ownership.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust says it’s looking at turning Crewkerne Community Hospital into a neighbourhood health centre. If implemented, it would likely mean the hospital losing all 20 of its inpatient beds. Chief operating officer for Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, Andy Heron, says they’ll be talking to local people about the best mix of services for Crewkerne Community Hospital, which they think is ideally placed to become one of the new neighbourhood health centres envisaged in the NHS 10-Year Plan.

A musical event held in Chard has raised £500 for a cancer charity. The sell-out concert by Blackdown Acapella at The Guildhall was held in aid of Target Ovarian Cancer.

More from News

Tuesday 15th July

The fire service has blamed a discarded portable barbecue for starting a blaze at Ham Hill Country Park. A care home for people with autism and complex needs in Crewkerne has been rated 'good'. A seven-year-old Yeovil boy has set a new world record for completing the most number of consecutive sit-ups for his age group...and more
Monday 14th July

Somerset Council is warning motorists against scanning QR codes at its car parks payment meters. Chard Town Council is spending £10,000 on short-term youth provision over the summer months. Former Yeovil Town player Marcus Stewart says he wants to continue raising money towards finding a cure for motor neurone disease...and more.
Friday 10th July

A Yeovil woman has shared how she is still on the waiting list for a transplant, a year on. A Crewkerne community group saved two tonnes of food from landfill last month and gave it to residents in need. Yeovil Town have announced their fixture list for the 2025/26 season....and more.
Thursday 10th July

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow heat health alert for the South West. A former Cherry Farm in Chard has donated its netting and high-tensile wire to Somerset Aid for Ukraine. Somerset Council is moving forward with its next phase of plans for the county...and more.
Wednesday 9th July

Demolition work at Yeovil’s Glovers Walk has been held up after two colonies of bees were discovered. Refurbishment of the town’s Dunelm store is underway. A teenager from Crewkerne has represented his country, winning a gold medal in a national boxing competition... and more.
Tuesday 8th July

Adam Dance, MP has challenged the Government over a "failure to tackle rising levels of child poverty" in South Somerset. A man in Chard has been evicted from a property in the town. Temporary changes are being put in place at Yeovil Bus Station... and more
Monday 8th July

Avon & Somerset Police are appealing for witnesses after a collision between a car and a house in Stapleton. A Yeovil man has run 31 miles from Ham Hill to Lyme Regis for Yeovil's 'The Hub'. A family feast is coming to Chard as part of the Somerset Food Trail Festival...and more
Friday 4th July

Charity shops in Somerset report that they have received donations of dirty clothing and even soiled nappies. Plans have been submitted to build a further fifty new homes in Crewkerne. The National Audit Office says extra government funding to improve bus services, including in Somerset, has failed to deliver an increase in passenger numbers...and more