Wednesday 16th October

Wednesday, 16 October 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is asking businesses to package products using only recyclable plastic. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for the NHS to be made a top priority in the upcoming Budget. A Langport woman was left in shock after finding a dead cockroach in a parcel delivered to her home containing clothing that she bought online...and more

Somerset Council is asking businesses to package products using only recyclable plastic. It follows an investigation which found that incinerating rubbish can be as polluting as burning coal. Somerset Council uses an incinerator at Avonmouth to dispose of black bin bags. Director for Climate and Place at the Council, Mickey Green, has defended the process claiming incineration can be beneficial.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for the NHS to be made a top priority in the upcoming Budget. His comments follow figure showing that Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, who run Yeovil Hospital, failed to meet its cancer treatment targets in August. Mr Dance MP blames years of underfunding of the NHS and is urging the Chancellor to prioritise NHS services in the Budget later this month.

A Planning Inspector has over-turned a decision not to allow a new housing development at Oakhill near Shepton Mallet. At a meeting in February, Somerset Council rejected plans to build 23 new homes on land at Chapelfield in Oakhill. But following an appeal, a Planning Inspector has ruled Johnson Land Ltd can go ahead with the development.

Langport woman, Amy Jowett, was left in shock after finding a dead cockroach in a parcel delivered to her home that contained clothing she has bought online. The incident comes a week after a live Scorpian was found in a package delivered by the same retailer to an address in Bristol.

Somerset Council says it received just over four thousand complaints in the year 2023/24. 1300 of them were later withdrawn, leaving 2700 to be investigated. The majority were about planning issues and delays getting phone calls answered.
Bruton-based cheese makers, Wyke Farms, have been recognized for their environmental credentials at a national competition. The business was given the Environmental Leadership prize at the UK Food and Drink Industry Awards for creating a sustainable working farm where the electricity and gas is self-sourced from biogas and solar.

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There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.