Wednesday 28th May

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is to spend £3m on employment consultants as it seeks to bring its four thousand staff onto the same terms and conditions. Film and TV production companies spent an estimated £4m making films in Somerset last year. The Wurzels have released a new single written by artificial intelligence in the hope it will take them to the top of the charts...and more

Somerset Council is to spend £3m on employment consultants as it seeks to bring its four thousand staff onto the same terms and conditions. The council was formed in 2023 after it merged five local authorities, inheriting several different sets of terms and conditions for staff.

Film and TV production companies spent an estimated £4m in Somerset last year. The figure comes in the week The Salt Path, filmed in Somerset, is released. Somerset Council says that, in addition to production companies spending money locally, tourism also benefits from places and landscapes in Somerset being showcased on the Big Screen.

Chard-based professional boxer Paul Roberts is to challenge for the British flyweight and Commonwealth flyweight titles. He's scheduled to fight Harvey Horn for the titles and the coveted Lonsdale belt at the Skate Central Arena in Sheffield on June 14th.

A man from Forton, near Chard, is taking part in a 200km challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research. Jonathan Ingram, who is living with a brain tumour, says by the end of May, he will have walked, run, and cycled to reach the 200km target.

Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has developed a new online self-referral form for bowel cancer. The Trust says data shows younger people are being diagnosed with late-stage bowel cancer in Somerset, with the highest proportion in Bridgwater. The new service is open to people aged 40-49 who are registered with a general practitioner (GP) in Somerset.

The Wurzels have released a new single written by artificial intelligence called 'Wurzel Me Up'. The band, best known for hits like Combine Harvester and I Am A Cider Drinker, say they've used Ai in the hope it will give them a new Number One.

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Wednesday 28th January

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Tuesday 27th January

Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more
Monday 26th January

A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more
Friday 23rd January

New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.
Thursday 22nd January

A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more
Wednesday 21st January

Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more
Tuesday 20th January

Citizens Advice says thousands of people in Somerset have lost some or all of their council tax discount. The UK's first autonomous full-size helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo in Yeovil, has successfully completed its maiden flight. A new pharmacy has opened in Wincanton...and more
Monday 19th January

The government is facing increasing pressure to clarify whether it will order new medium-lift helicopters from Leonardo in Yeovil. Somerset Council is spending £5 million on new laptops. A new singing group is being set up in Yeovil for people living with dementia...and more