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 20th April

Nearly one hundred roads in Somerset will be surface dressed this summer to prevent further damage. Almost all children starting primary school in Somerset in September have been offered a place at one of their top three school choices. People in Somerset are being asked to record wild mammals in gardens and other green spaces over the summer... and more
Friday 17th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has backed calls for a cap on heating oil prices. Invitations are being sent out to those in Somerset eligible for the latest Covid vaccine. A pub near Chard has closed just four months after reopening... and more
Thursday 16th April

Wessex Water has been told to pay £300,000 after a sewer spilled into the River Yeo killing dozens of fish. The Brewhouse Theatre in Taunton has been given a grant of half a million pounds. Today marks the official opening of the new visitor centre at Ham Hill... and more
Wednesday 15th April

Yeovil College has been upgraded to a Defence Technical Excellence College. Somerset Council is taking legal action against a housing developer that owes £35,000 in contributions towards local services in Broadway. An Ilminster couple have covered the first 400 miles of their epic walk around the coastline of mainland Britain... and more
Tuesday 14th April

Avon and Somerset Police has launched a new five-year plan to tackle anti-social behaviour. Additional GP appointments will soon be available at three local surgeries, following a £1 million investment to upgrade NHS facilities in Somerset. A Stoke-sub-Hamdon couple whose daughter died of cancer have raised £128,000 in her memory... and more
Monday 13th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for better support for survivors of domestic abuse living in rural communities. The RSPB in Somerset is urging people to stop feeding birds to prevent the spread of disease. Yeovil Town Football Club says an issue that had threatened it with removal from the register at Companies House has been resolved... and more
Friday 10th April

Maternity services at Yeovil Hospital will reopen on Tuesday April 21st. A Somerset woman, who relies on a wheelchair for mobility, has criticised changes to the Motor Motability scheme. Somerset Freemasons have presented a cheque for forty-three thousand pounds to Young Somerset, a charity that supports young people in the county... and more
Thursday 9th April

Yeovil Town Football Club has received a warning that it could be struck off the register at Companies House. Somerset Council has been given £22 million to provide assistance to people facing cost of living pressures. Members of 1st Ilminster Scout Group have spent a night sleeping outdoors to experience the challenges faced by homeless military veterans... and more