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.

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It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

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