Wednesday 24th December

Wednesday, 24 December 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A formal planning application has been made to carry out significant improvements to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre, costing £15 million. The Halifax Bank in King George Street in Yeovil could be converted into 17 flats. A new young people’s centre opens in Chard early in the New Year...and more.

A formal planning application has been made to carry out significant improvements costing £15 million to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The works include improvements to the auditorium and rehearsal space, as well as to the front-of-house facilities, toilets, and stage and backstage areas. Providing the plans are approved, Somerset Council and Yeovil Town Council, who’re working jointly on the project, say work will start during the 2026/2027 financial year.

The Halifax Bank in King George Street in Yeovil could be converted into flats. Plans have been submitted to convert the former banking premises into a house of multiple occupation, providing 17 co-living rooms with associated shared communal facilities. The Halifax in King George Street closes permanently on Monday, January 12th, and re-opens within Lloyds Bank in The Borough on Wednesday, January 14th.

Plans have been submitted to widen a level crossing near Crewkerne. Network Rail says it needs to widen the Cathole Bridge Road level crossing near the Crewkerne Tunnel to create a new pedestrian link to a nearby housing development.

A community group has been established to try to reopen the village pub in Chiselborough. The Cat's Head Inn, which has been in existence for around 400 years, closed suddenly in May and is now up for sale.

Donyatt Parish Council has developed proposals to minimise flood risk in the village. They include improving the drainage on Crow Lane and changes in farming practices in local fields.

A new young people’s centre opens in Chard early in the New Year. The Hive Centre in Essex Close will begin operating on Monday, January 5th. It will host three evening sessions each week and four after-school drop-in sessions.

More from News

Thursday 10th September

Work has begun building a new multi-million-pound David Lloyd leisure centre in Yeovil. NHS Somerset says a new system to handle emergency stroke care will lead to "better outcomes" for patients. Tickets for next year’s Glastonbury Festival will go on sale in October...and more
Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more
Thursday 3rd September

Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more