Only one person in Somerset has been prosecuted for fly-tipping in the last two years. A new law governing tips could make local service industry staff better off. Traffic was severely held up yesterday afternoon, after a collision on the A303... and more..
Somerset Council has confirmed only one person in the county has been prosecuted for fly-tipping in the last two years. Enforcement was originally the responsibility of Somerset’s four district councils until the creation of the unitary authority last year. It’s thought that lack of evidence and enforcement resources mean it’s difficult to bring cases forward.
Meanwhile, the Council will submit expressions of interest in devolution, alongside Dorset and Wiltshire councils, in response to a government request. The ambition is to unlock greater powers and resources for the area. Whilst the three councils have differing goals and ambitions for their respective regions, they have come together to explore the possibilities that could come from the Government’s devolution agenda.
If you work in the service industry, a new law governing tips, could mean you're better off from now on. The Employment Act 2023 means that employers now have to make sure workers receive the full tip from a customer. It's thought it'll benefit around two million workers country-wide. Café staff in the area think that it’s important that tips are fairly shared out.
And mid-afternoon commuters and school-run traffic was severely held up yesterday afternoon, after a collision on the A303, between Horton and the Southfields roundabout. The eastbound stretch had to be closed for a period between 3 and 5pm, but was reopened in time for rush hour. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
The police say footage from dashcams has become an important way to clamp down on dangerous driving. Plans to build a skatepark in Langport are pushing ahead. Dozens of items of tech equipment have been donated to the Digital Poverty Alliance in Somerset for giving to low-income households...and more
Councillors have voted to cut 555 jobs at Somerset Council. Farmers in Somerset are reporting a big increase in thefts of trucks, trailers and machinery. NHS Somerset has confirmed that a doctor’s surgery in Yeovil is to expand. The Forget Me Not Pre-School in Yeovil has been rated 'Good' across all areas by Ofsted...and more
Somerset Council is investigating how a flood event in Mudford near Yeovil resulted in human bones being dislodged from a local cemetery. Thousands of new jobs are being created in Somerset as work building the Hinkley C nuclear power station ramps up. A Yeovil cake designer has been named winner of a national Wedding Industry Award for the second successive year...and more.
A public transport pressure group in Yeovil says better bus services would bring a range of benefits to the town. A new campaign has been launched in Somerset to support high-risk domestic abuse victims. Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Chard has thanked the public for helping it reach a fund-raising target...and more
A dog, stolen in Norfolk seven years ago, has been found 200 miles away safe and well in Somerset. A man who lives in Seavington St Michael near Ilminster has been jailed after driving a car at police officers. One hundred new affordable homes could be built near Langport...and more
A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships...and more
A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a one-month-old baby boy in Chard. Kingfisher Primary School in Yeovil has been highly praised by Ofsted. Somerset Council says it’s “extremely disappointed” after its bid to form a devolved Wessex group of local councils was rejected by the government...and more.
The Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, says they had no choice but to ask the government to allow them to lift the 5 percent cap on raising Council Tax. Two teenagers have been released on bail following the stabbing in Yeovil. More than six thousand pounds has been awarded to local groups by Chard Carnival Committee...and more.