Wednesday 25th February

Wednesday, 25 February 2026 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans have been passed to carry out a £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. A new medical unit providing NHS and private treatments has opened in Shepton Mallet. Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard is celebrating after receiving a Gold Artsmark for excellence in arts and cultural education...and more

Plans have been passed to carry out a £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. The work will see accessibility improved throughout the venue, new technical equipment to support more ambitious productions installed, including enhanced systems for moving scenery and props. It’s understood the work upgrading the Octagon will begin during the new financial year, beginning in April.

The government has approved Somerset Council’s request for £30 million of Exceptional Financial Support. £25 million will be used to cover a budget gap and £5 million to support the transformation of services. The money will be raised through a Capitalisation Direction, allowing Somerset Council to fund day-to-day spending through additional borrowing or selling under-utilised assets.

A new medical unit providing NHS and private treatments has opened in Shepton Mallet. The facility on Bucklers Way, close to the town's community hospital, includes consulting rooms and a minor operating theatre, and offers a range of services including hip and knee replacements and treatment for age-related macular degeneration.

A Yeovil man has been given a 1-year driving ban after being caught drug-driving. Reuben John Clare, aged 20, of Preston Road pleaded guilty to driving on Wyndham View in Yeovil with more than double the legal limit of cannabis in his blood.

Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard is celebrating after receiving a Gold Artsmark for excellence in arts and cultural education. The school says the arts are embedded within its development plan, with arts leads appointed to help students develop and improve.

And, members of Chardstock Amateur Dramatic Society are in final rehearsals for their production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Director Jen Parker says audiences will be enchanted by captivating sets, and mesmerising special effects. Jack and the Beanstalk will be performed at Chardstock Community Hall beginning Thursday, March 5th, to Saturday, March 7th.

More from News

Tuesday 24th February

First Bus has announced changes to bus timetables on routes across Somerset. A Somerset drone company is celebrating getting through the audition round of ITV’s Britain's Got Talent. A public footpath in South Somerset is set to remain closed for up to two years... and more
Monday 23rd February

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is warning of a scaling back of jobs at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Work is underway on the multi-million-pound refurbishment of Yeovil police station. The A361 across the Somerset Levels has reopened... and more
Friday 20th February

10,000 incidents of potholes on Somerset’s roads have been reported to Somerset Council in the past four weeks. The Met Office is warning of more unsettled weather into March for Somerset. The Crowshute link in Chard will close for eight nights next month for road repairs... and more
Thursday 19th February

Yeovil fire station is to undergo a major refurbishment. A Yeovil based charity is appealing for adults to become mentors to young people. A Somerset woman has completed a 10,000 kilometre solo bike ride across Africa... and more
Wednesday 18th February

New figures have shown a rise in cases of suicide involving farmers, including in Somerset. Plans to merge the parishes of Castle Cary and Ansford have been scrapped. A Somerset-based charity working to end homelessness is marking its 50th anniversary... and more
Tuesday 17th February

Avon and Somerset Police are asking the owners of replica guns to hand them in. It's claimed motorists in the Bruton and Wincanton area are paying out hundreds of pounds in repairs due to the poor state of local roads. And, Yeovil Town take on Aldershot at Huish Park tonight... and more
Monday 16th February

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has warned that the Westlands entertainment venue in Yeovil would be at risk should Leonardo not be awarded a government contract to build new medium life helicopters. A Chard woman has been given a suspended jail sentence for carrying a knife in a public place. A petition has been launched to slowdown motorists using Coker Way and Wyatt Way in Chard... and more
Friday 13th February

Somerset Council has dropped plans to close two town centre car parks in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was attacked in her home. The Environment Agency has committed to reviewing its water management of the Somerset Levels following the recent floods... and more