Wednesday 2nd July

Wednesday, 2 July 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Business owners in Chard say ongoing roadworks in Fore Street are hurting their trade. A vehicle has been destroyed in a fire at a farm at Charlton Mackrell. A new recycling scheme has been launched to support Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Castle Carey has created a Scarecrow Festival...and more

Business owners in Chard say that ongoing roadworks in Fore Street are having a negative impact on trade. Work completing repairs to the kerbing, which started on June 9th and was due to end this Friday, has been delayed due to a design fault. The owners of Jenny’s Café and Bistro and Chard Fish and Chips are amongst the traders who say they’re losing customers. Somerset Council says it’s committed to ensuring the disruption is minimised, but can’t give a date when Fore Street will return to normal.

A vehicle has been destroyed in a fire at a farm at Charlton Mackrell. The 4x4 was in a field of crops when it burst into flames. Crews from Somerton and Martock attended and used a water jet and breathing apparatus to extinguish the blaze. No one was hurt.

Reports of animal cruelty in Somerset rose by a third last year. Figures show the RSPCA investigated 550 cases of animal cruelty in Somerset between June and August 2024. It says the cost of living has been a contributing factor.

Castle Carey has created a Scarecrow Festival as part of its entry into the Britain in Bloom competition. Penny Steiner, who has led the project, has thanked the local people for their participation.

A new recycling scheme has been launched to support Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The charity has partnered with Recycling Solutions to introduce new clothing banks across Somerset, including one located at Broadway Village Hall, near Ilminster. The aim is to raise funds for the air ambulance while keeping unwanted clothing and shoes out of landfill sites.

A painting of a red carrot by an artist called Steve has been named the overall winner of this year’s Open Exhibition at Ilminster Arts Centre. Victoria Garland’s ‘Pig Gone Wild’ and Sally Hebeler’s ‘Flight of Imagination’ were named joint runners-up. The open exhibition at Ilminster Arts Centre is on until Friday, July 18th.

More from News

Tuesday 1st July

A murder trial starts today of the parents of a baby boy who died in Yeovil Hospital. Somerset residents are being asked to keep an eye on elderly neighbours, with temperatures expected to reach the high 20s again today. A tiny black kitten has been found inside a crate of laundry delivered to a cleaning business in Yeovil...and more
Monday 30th June

The Care Quality Commission has published its report into the running of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. A public consultation has been launched into plans to build 150 new homes at Horton near Ilminster. A Chard man has embarked on walking 75 miles across Somerset, raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance...and more
Friday 27th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for Yeovil Hospital to be included in the government's national review of NHS maternity services. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with four counts of fraud. Yeovil Town players will be modelling the club’s new home and away strip at Huish Park this evening...and more.
Thursday 26th June

Thousands more music fans will arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury Festival. The government has granted Somerset Council a stay of execution, allowing it to defer a spending deficit on special needs education. A party has been held to mark the 100th birthday of a Somerset woman who has lived in the same house for 100 years...and more.
Wednesday 25th June

Businesses at the Cartgate services off the A303 near Yeovil say they feel threatened by Welcome Break Ltd's plans to build a new, bigger services area right next door. A man who lives in Tintinhull, found nearly double the drink drive limit, has been given a 20-month driving ban. Police are warning of fake tickets being on sale for Glastonbury Festival...and more
Tuesday 24th June

There’s been a drop in the number of potholes being filled in on Somerset’s roads. A Somerset company has developed a new type of un-crewed helicopter. A man has cycled from Spain to Somerset to attend Glastonbury Festival...and more
Monday 23rd June

Plans have been submitted to build a motorway-style service station at Cartgate on the A303. Police are asking for the public’s help in tracing those responsible for two house break-ins in Yeovil. A Community Champion at Tesco in Chard has been rewarded for her work supporting the local community...and more.
Friday 20th June

A fire at Pen Mill Football Club’s ground in Yeovil is being treated as deliberate. A former Principal of Yeovil College has been awarded an OBE in the King's Honours List. The Met Office is warning of high pollen levels in Somerset as temperatures rise into the high 20’s...and more