Wednesday 1st April

Wednesday, 1 April 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

No money has been committed to major new road projects in Somerset. A road linking Chard and Clayhanger has been closed after it collapsed due to badgers burrowing under the surface. The Bishop of Bath and Wells is on day-2 of his pilgrimage across Somerset to mark the holy week of Easter... and more

No money has been committed to major new road projects in Somerset under the government's new road investment strategy just announced. Yeovil MP Adam Dance had been pushing for an upgrade to the Southfields roundabout and dualling of the A303 between Ilminster and South Petherton but neither have been included in the strategy. The proposed junction 22a off the M5 to serve the new £4billion pound gigafactory near Bridgwater has also been excluded.

An unclassified road that links Chard and Clayhanger has been closed for safety reasons after it partially collapsed due to badgers burrowing under the surface. Somerset Council says it’s asked Natural England to issue a licence for repair work to begin, as badgers are a protected species.

A trial has started in Somerset in which dentists are teaming up with primary schools to give guidance to teachers and pupils on toothbrushing and oral health. The programme involves teaching children about the ‘dental magic routine’.

The Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Reverend Michael Beasley, is on day-2 of his pilgrimage across Exmoor and the Quantocks to mark the holy week of Easter. Bishop Michael is stopping at churches and local events along the way.

A former hairdresser's shop in Merriott could be converted into a two-bedroom home. Plans have been submitted for a change of use on 2, Broadway in Merriot claiming the proposal will deliver a long-term viable use for the building.

Memorabilia of a famous Somerset racehorse is being auctioned today. Kauto Star, trained by Paul Nicholls at Ditcheat, was a two-times Gold Cup winner and five times winner of the King George Sixth Chase. His owner, Clive Smith, passed away in 2024 and his collection is being sold off by Charterhouse Auctioneers in Sherborne.

More from News

Tuesday 31st March

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to install solar panels on the roof of the Octagon Theatre. Three men have been charged in connection with an investigation into a hunt in Somerset. Changes have been announced to the times of waste collections in Somerset over the Easter holidays... and more
Monday 30th March

Avon and Somerset Police say its armed officers attended 2,700 incidents in Somerset last year. Plans have been submitted to build 40 new homes in Curry Rivel. South Western Ambulance is offering free CPR and defibrillator training to help improve cardiac arrest survival rates...and more
Friday 27 March

There's been a big improvement in ambulance response times in Somerset. Three local people have been charged with offences linked to the theft and supply of prescription-only drugs. A fragment of a jawbone found in a cave in Cheddar Gorge appears to show that humans kept dogs as pets as far back as 5,000 years ago... and more
Thursday 26th March

Somerset Council is offering food vouchers during the school easter holidays to families whose children receive free school meals. A local man has been charged in connection with an incident involving a firearm in Yeovil. The Environment Agency says it could take up to 10 years to protect homes at Holway House Park and Home Farm Park in Ilminster from flooding...and more.
Wednesday 25th March

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has raised concerns in the House of Commons about the planned closure of Yeovil Hospital’s hyper-acute stroke unit. Police in Yeovil are appealing for information after a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm. A 13-year-old terrier named Mole has been rescued after becoming trapped underground...and more
Tuesday 24th March

Yeovil College has received a glowing report following an Ofsted inspection. The main road between Chard and Ilminster is to be better protected from flooding. A six-thousand-year-old wooden walkway has been uncovered on the Somerset Levels... and more
Monday 23rd March

A wildcat helicopter belonging 815 Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton has been in action tracking two Russian ships in the English Channel. People living in Somerset will have to pay to use Dorset’s household waste recycling centres from today. A road in Ilminster has closed to traffic today and will stay shut for the next ten days... and more
Friday 20th March

Police are appealing for witnesses to a three-vehicle crash in Sherborne. The jobs of housing maintenance staff at Somerset Council could be outsourced to a private contractor. A pie throwing event is taking place in Chard today for Red Nose Day ... and more