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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more
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