Wednesday 18th September

Tuesday, 17 September 2024 at 21:09

By Steve Haigh

BT is reassuring customers in Somerset who are worried about the upcoming digital switchover for landline phones. Somerset Council could lose 13 percent of its elected members as part of an upcoming boundary review. Castle Cary has been named as the best place to live in the UK in an online poll...and more.

BT is reassuring customers in Somerset who are worried about the upcoming digital switchover for landline phones. Copper phone lines are being decommissioned and all landlines will connect through the internet and electricity sockets. BT senior engagement manager, Vicky Hicks say the change to digital is needed to improve the way phones work.

Somerset Council could lose 13 percent of its elected members as part of an upcoming boundary review. The council has 110 elected members, two for each of the 55 divisions on boundaries inherited from Somerset County Council. However, this number could go down to 96 as part of a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission ahead of the next local elections in Somerset in May 2027. The commission is expected to hold two rounds of public consultation on the proposals before the summer of 2025.

Chard Town FC celebrated 100 years of playing at Zembard Lane last night. The milestone was marked with a Somerset Senior League fixture against Worle FC. Chard Town first played at Zembard Lane on September 17th, 1924, after being formed in March 1921, and initially playing at Bonfire Close.

Somerset Council has launched a new consultation asking people for their views on where they live and the services the council provides. The Council says it will use the results of the 2024 Resident Survey to measure progress against Somerset’s priorities and shape future council services. The survey is open now on the Somerset County Council website and closes on Monday, October 21st.

A sign that hung in the reception area of the Pittards factory in Yeovil is being auctioned off. Anyone who visited the Pittard's on Sherborne Road will have seen the carved wood emblem reading 'Established 1840'. The sign is being auctioned by Charterhouse in Sherborne on September 25th with a guide price of £2,500.

Castle Cary has been named as the best place to live in the UK in an online survey. In a poll of readers of the Muddy Stilettos’ website, Castle Cary came top of a list of the best villages, towns and cities to live in the UK.

More from News

Friday 30th October

Wells Cathedral says it's having to get creative to bring in more money as financial pressures continue to grow. A convenience store in Martock has been allowed to keep its alcohol licence despite an employee working there illegally. Police have seized an illegally ridden e-scooter in Yeovil in response to concerns from local residents... and more
Thursday 29th October

A Yeovil man has been detained under the Mental Health Act for attacking his mother with a knife. People in Chard are being reminded that it’s unlawful to attach flags to lamp posts and street furniture. Wincanton Racecourse has called off its 'Badger Chase Day' because the ground is too firm... and more
Wednesday 28th October

Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it is closing with immediate effect. NHS Somerset could merge with neighbours in Bath and North-East Somerset and Dorset to cut costs. Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant has launched a campaign to get more people nominated for national honours... and more
Tuesday 27th October

Work has started building a new six-million-pound flood defence scheme in Taunton. Plans have been submitted to build a new church hall in Martock. People are being asked to donate gifts to this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal... and more
Monday 26th October

Eligible groups in Somerset are being encouraged to get their flu jabs. There’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look inside Avon & Somerset Police’s control room. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP, has visited Yeovil... and more.
Friday 23rd October

Somerset is the 11th most challenging place in England to be a child according to a report. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire could have its own elected ‘Wessex Mayor’ by 2028. Cricketer, Ian Botham returns to the county this weekend... and more.
Thursday 22nd October

The NFU says that testing for the virus Bluetongue needs to be sped up. Construction of new flats on Yeovil’s Grimsby Corner site will officially begin next year. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind tomorrow... and more.
Wednesday 21st October

The owner of campsite in Somerset says a two-thousand-seven-hundred percent increase in business rates will be 'catastrophic' for his business. Plans to build nearly 300 new homes on the outskirts of Chard have been given the go ahead. Yeovil Town are through to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Leatherhead 5-2 at Huish Park last night... and more