Wednesday 3rd April

Wednesday, 3 April 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Health Secretary has been asked to review the decision to close the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Parents in Somerset say paying for childcare is still difficult, despite the government increasing funding. A Somerset housebuilder has launched a search to find its longest-standing home owner... and more.

The Health Secretary, Veronica Atkins, has been asked to review the decision to close the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. The Management Board at NHS Somerset met last week to finally approve the business case to downgrade the Yeovil unit, despite 7,000 local people signing a petition calling for it to be kept open. In a letter, Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Yeovil, Adam Dance, has asked the Secretary of State to ensure the Yeovil unit stays open saying that it is unacceptable for people in the town and surrounding areas to be left with reduced access to emergency acute stroke treatment.

Parents in Somerset say paying for childcare is still difficult for them, despite the government increasing funding for childcare. The Government has expanded the number of funded hours to working parents, with two-year-olds now eligible for 15 hours of free care each week but with childcare still costing around £230 a week, parents continue to struggle to pay this.

Chard Library is open as normal, despite the building looking like it’s closed due to a number of boarded-up windows. A spokesperson for the library, which is a listed building, says the windows are in a poor state and have been boarded up as a safety precaution pending their repair.

Men in Somerset are being encouraged to attend football sessions to improve their mental health. Wellbeing Wanderers is a new community football group offering a weekly kick-around.

A Somerset housebuilder has launched a search to find its longest-standing homeowner. Redrow, which has built 120,000 homes in the South West since its launch in 1988, wants to hear the stories of long-term residents to mark its 50th anniversary. As a reward for telling their story, the Redrow homeowner will receive a cash prize of £500.

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Friday 17th January

Bruton Primary School is the latest to have a barrier installed outside the school to stop parents parking when dropping off and picking up children. A man has appeared in court charged with being drunk and disorderly at Yeovil Hospital. A veteran of World War Two in Castle Cary has been awarded France’s highest military and civil distinction...and more
Thursday 16th January

A Chard woman has appeared in court after driving her car towards a crowd of people who, she claimed, were causing a disturbance. Crewkerne residents will soon be provided with a new banking hub. Work has started removing 14 trees along the embankment of Chard Reservoir...and more
Wednesday 15th January

A Yeovil man has been arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child. A Community Fridge in Shepton Mallet says it saved ten tonnes of unwanted food from going to landfill in the run-up to Christmas. Somerset Council has started collecting empty toothpaste tubes for recycling at the kerbside for the first time...and more
Tuesday 14th January

Police are appealing for witnesses after two people died in a car crash near Shepton Mallet. A new passing loop could be introduced on the rail line between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill stations. St Margaret’s Hospice has thanked the public for making this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling project their most successful ever...and more
Monday 13th January

Plans to build forty-six new homes in Castle Cary have been rejected for a third time. Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has no plans to step down from his dual role as a member of Somerset Council. Rug Ratz in Yeovil is closing permanently today, leaving the town without a children's soft play space...and more.
Friday 10th January

Yeovil Hospital has declared a critical incident due to a sharp rise in flu admissions putting pressure on bed spaces. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, joined campaigners and colleagues in Downing Street this week to hand in a petition calling for action to tackle the shortage of NHS dentists. Yeovil's Marlie Packer has been replaced as England's Red Roses captain for 2025 season... and more
Thursday 9th January

Police say three children, missing from their home in Essex, have been found safe and well in Wincanton. Yeovil Hospital is asking visitors to A&E to wear facemasks to help avoid the spread of infection. Long traffic queues can be expected in Chard over the next nine months. A new arts and music performance space has opened in Crewkerne...and more.
Wednesday 8th January

Police are appealing for witnesses to a hit-and-run accident in Yeovil. Somerset Council says it's monitoring the weather closely following a Yellow Warning of snow across the County. A public inquiry is to decide the future of a Somerset shopping centre. Plans to build 30 new homes in Keinton Mandeville have been turned down.