Wednesday 19th February

Wednesday, 19 February 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Free parking at council-run car parks in Somerset could soon end with the introduction of Sunday and overnight charging. Pavement slabs in Yeovil town centre, damaged by a utility company a year ago, are finally being replaced. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is to use £1 million of reserves to fund its day-to-day spending from April...and more.

Free parking at council-run car parks in Somerset could soon end with the introduction of Sunday and overnight charging. The Council is creating what it calls a ‘consistent charging policy across all 200 car parks that it runs. Members of the Council’s Executive are due to discuss the issue at a meeting on February 24th.

Pavement slabs in Yeovil town centre, damaged by a utility company a year ago, are finally being replaced. The new slabs were laid near the junction of High Street and Wine Street as part of the Yeovil Refresh, however, when some were damaged tarmac was used to replace them. Somerset Council says after months of delay, the tarmac is being removed and new slabs laid, at no extra cost to the Council.

Visit Somerset says tourism businesses are relying on the half-term school holiday to help boost their income. This week is the first time since Christmas that attractions, like Cheddar Caves and Wookey Hole, have opened to the public.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service is to use £1 million of reserves to fund its day-to-day spending. The service is increasing its share of the council tax by five percent from April but says it won’t be enough to pay all running costs. A meeting of the Fire Authority was told the service has reserves of £26 million with £1 million earmarked to plug a funding gap in the budget for the financial year 2025-26.

A Somerset man has successfully defended his UK Bench Press title. Ram Patten underwent major cancer surgery in September and was given a 50 per cent chance of survival. Now in recovery, he's hoping that his comeback story will inspire others.

An events company has bought Shepton Mallet Prison. The last inmates left the 17th-century jail in 2013. The Cove Group has been renting the site and using it as a tourist attraction and events space since 2017.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more