Wednesday 21st February

Wednesday, 21 February 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Unions claim up to one thousand jobs could be cut at Somerset Council. People in Chard are being asked for suggestions about where in the town a cinema could be opened. The Gateway in Yeovil is the venue for a concert tonight, marking the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine...and more

A demonstration was held outside yesterday’s Somerset Council meeting at which cuts in spending of £100 million were approved, threatening the jobs of hundreds of Council workers. The Liberal Democrat-run authority says it has no alternative but to make the savings to avoid the Council going bankrupt. Nigel Behan from the union Unite says one thousand jobs at Somerset Council are at risk.

People in Chard are being asked for suggestions about where in the town a cinema could be opened. Local councillor, Connor Payne, who’s leading a campaign for a cinema in Chard is working with S and B Cinemas who run cinemas in Burnham-on-Sea, Minehead and Frome to make a cinema for Chard a reality. Councillor Payne would also welcome suggestions for a name for the cinema and can be contacted at: connor.payne@somerset.gov.uk

A former Castle Cary pub has moved closer to becoming a Co-op store. The Horse Pond Inn in The Triangle closed five years ago, with planning permission granted two years ago to convert it to a food outlet. Now, Co-Operative Food Ltd has submitted plans to install new signage at the former pub. When open, the store will have 3,000 square feet of floor space and 13 parking spaces.

Work has been completed on a 4-year project to smarten up the look of Chard town centre. The Chard Heritage Action Project has involved laying new pavements and freshening shop fronts. Restoration work has also been carried out on many of the 136 Listed Buildings in Chard, including the Guildhall and Chard School.

The Gateway in Yeovil is the venue for a concert of Ukrainian music and dance tonight, marking the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The performance starts at 8 pm with tickets at £10 available at the door. All proceeds will go to Aid for Ukraine.

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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
Thursday 19th March

Farmers in Somerset say they're struggling after a doubling in the price of red diesel. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised Donald Trump over his comments about people with learning disabilities. A Somerset woman whose father was killed in a crash on the M5 is running the London Marathon to raise money for South West Ambulance...and more
Wednesday 18th March

The murder of a two-week-old baby by his father at Yeovil Hospital could not have been predicted, according to a new report. A road in Ilminster is to close to traffic for eleven days later this month. A new Post Office counter is to open in Somerton... and more
Tuesday 17th March

The government is being asked to help fund Somerset's carnivals. Bridgwater Town Council wants more trains to stop at the town’s railway station. A fund raising pie throwing event is taking place for Red Nose Day in Chard... and more