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

Thursday 31st July

A bird flu surveillance zone has been imposed in Somerset. The go-ahead has been given to build sixteen new homes in Shepton Beauchamp. The catering team at Yeovil Hospital has won a top award for the food it serves. Year Four pupils at Herne View Primary School in Ilminster have been presented with dictionaries by the local Rotary Club...and more
Wednesday 30th July

The fire service says they still don’t know what caused Monday’s major shop fire in Yeovil. A safeguarding review is being carried out into the case of Daniel Gunter, who was found guilty at Bristol Crown Court last week of murdering his two-week-old baby son at Yeovil Hospital. National convenience store chain, Costcutter, has taken over the empty YMCA charity shop in Middle Street in Yeovil for a new store...and more
Tuesday 29th July

Parents in Somerset are being advised not to leave their children unsupervised with pets. Somerset Council says it's dealing with a backlog of sixteen hundred planning applications. Ninety thousand pounds has been raised so far for Somerset Community Foundation’s appeal supporting people affected by last week’s coach crash in West Somerset...and more
Monday 28th July

A boat used for sightseeing trips on the River Parrett at Langport has sunk after being vandalised. A union representing firefighters in Somerset says former retained staff are missing out on pension payments. Thirty-nine new affordable homes are to be built in Merriot...and more
Friday 25th July

A father has been found guilty of murdering his two-week-old son at Yeovil Hospital. From Monday, no trains will be stopping at Crewkerne until further notice. Experts say the dry weather has created ideal conditions for wasps to multiply in significant numbers across Somerset. A rare railway carriage from the 1880s, believed to have been built in Somerset, is being given a new lease of life...and more.
Thursday 24th July

Tourism leaders in Somerset are hoping to reverse last year’s downturn in visitor numbers now that the six-week-long school summer holiday is underway. A Chard woman who was driving a van without insurance that crashed has been given a 16-month driving ban. A Somerset hedgehog rescue centre says a lack of rain and hard ground conditions are making it difficult for hedgehogs to survive this summer...and more.
Tuesday 22nd July

Somerset Community Foundation has launched a "Together for West Somerset Appeal" to help families affected by last Thursday's school coach crash on Exmoor. People in Somerset are being encouraged to improve their recycling of food waste. Free family cooking sessions are being held in Chard. A new children’s soft play area is soon to open in Yeovil...and more
Monday 21st July

A GoFundMe page set up to support families of last week’s Exmoor bus crash, in which a 10-year-old boy died, has raised over forty thousand pounds. A local councillor is calling for the introduction of speed cameras on the A30, from Yeovil to Sherborne. A group from a school in Ilchester have hiked 26 miles across the Jurassic Coast to fundraise in memory of a school colleague...and more