Wednesday 23rd July

Wednesday, 23 July 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is planning to open twelve new Special Educational Needs units in mainstream schools. Yeovil Hospital is participating in a trial that could revolutionise the treatment of sepsis within the NHS. A 55-acre site in Chard, with plans approved to build 295 homes and a new football ground, has been put up for sale...and more

Somerset Council plans to open twelve new Special Educational Needs units in mainstream schools, starting in September. The move could save the Council £17m over the next five years. Somerset Council says the motivation for the move is not financial.

Yeovil Hospital is participating in a trial involving patients in critical care that could revolutionise the treatment of sepsis within the NHS. Sepsis, often referred to as blood poisoning, occurs when the body overreacts to an infection, causing damage to organs and tissues. While antibiotics are essential in their treatment, excessive use can lead to serious side effects and antibiotic resistance. The trial is looking at whether a five-day course of antibiotics is sufficient to treat sepsis safely.

A 55-acre site in Chard, with plans approved to build 295 homes and a new football ground, has been put up for sale. The land at Mount Hindrance comprises of three fields between the Blackdown Heights development and Cuttiford’s Door.

Greggs is advertising for staff to work at its new shop in Chard. A variety of roles are available at the Tapstone Road outlet, which is set to open in October.

A hoard of 2,584 historic silver pennies, discovered in Somerset by metal detectorists, is set to go on display locally. Known as the Chew Valley Hoard, the coins date from just after the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and depict both the defeated King Harold II and the triumphant William the Conqueror. The Chew Valley Hoard is due to go on display at the Museum of Somerset next summer.

The Somerset branch of The Campaign for Real Ale has launched its 2025 Pub Trail, featuring 50 pubs across the County. The trail covers a wide area, from the New Inn at Wedmore to the King’s Head in Crewkerne.

More from News

Monday 16th March

Drivers are being told that it could take several more weeks yet before Hendford Hill in Yeovil reopens to traffic. A new bus service between Glastonbury and Castle Cary railway station is to start on a trial basis. Children in Chard are being given free reading books as part of a scheme founded by Dolly Parton... and more
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