Wednesday 3rd September

Wednesday, 3 September 2025 06:00

Yeovil’s MP, Adam Dance, will introduce his first Bill to Parliament next week, proposing dyslexia screening. The 2025 Ilminster Neighbourhood Plan referendum has won a massive majority in the town. Chard residents are being encouraged to report crime and antisocial behaviour...and more.

Yeovil’s MP, Adam Dance, will introduce his first Bill to Parliament next week, proposing dyslexia screening in schools. Mr Dance grew up with the condition and says the Bill would ensure no child in South Somerset, or countrywide, would be left behind. Currently, the only standardised check in primary schools is the phonics test, and campaigners argue it can overlook dyslexia, ADHD and other neurodivergent traits. The Bill will be presented on Wednesday, 10th September, after Prime Minister’s Questions.

The 2025 Ilminster Neighbourhood Plan referendum has won a massive majority in the town, with 82.9% of votes giving it the go-ahead. The plan is community-led and land-based and will seek guidance on future development, regeneration and conservation in the area. The development and funding of housing will be addressed over the next two years, alongside employment, across an area that includes the former Horlicks factory to the east of the town.

Police and community groups in Chard say they want more people to report low-level crime and antisocial behaviour. The Community Hub, Somerset Drug and Alcohol Service, local Village Agents and Citizens Advice have all been taking part in an event to try and engage more with the local community. Jeannie McManus is from Young Somerset and says they really want to improve the relationship.

Pregnant women and children in Somerset are being urged to get a flu jab this autumn. One thousand seven hundred eighty people were hospitalised in Somerset between September 2023 and March 2025 as a result of Flu or COVID-19. Vaccinations are now open to children aged between 2 and 3, school-aged children, and children with long-term health conditions to help them stay well during the winter months.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

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