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.

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Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more