Wednesday 4th December

Wednesday, 4 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Two weeks after Storm Bert, people in the village of Chaffcombe near Chard still do not have broadband and landline phones. A new report warns that drivers are far more likely to be killed or seriously injured on rural roads in Somerset than on urban roads. Staff and children at Tatworth Primary School near Chard are celebrating after winning the annual Somerset School's Maths Challenge.

People in the village of Chaffcombe near Chard are still without broadband and landline phones two weeks after Storm Bert. A tree that fell on cabling during high winds left more than 200 homes without broadband and phone connectivity, and no date for when normal service will be resumed. Residents say with communications cut off and a mobile phone signal virtually non-existent in the village, their main concern is not being able to contact the emergency services, should a local emergency arise (story and photo courtesy of Chard and Ilminster News).

A new report is warning that drivers are far more likely to be killed or seriously injured on rural roads in Somerset, than on urban roads. NFU Mutual, which is behind the report, says 107 people in the South West died on rural roads in 2023, compared to 34 in urban areas. NFU Mutual has now produced a Code for Countryside Roads to try and improve safety.

New times have been issued for recycling and rubbish collections over the festive period. If your usual collection day is Wednesday 25th of December it will change to Friday 27th of December. If your usual collection day is Thursday 26th of December it will change to Saturday 28th of December and if your usual pick-up day is Friday 27th of December it will change to Sunday 29th of December. All of Somerset’s recycling sites, including the one at Houndstone in Yeovil, will be open over the Christmas and New Year period, except on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Garden collections will be suspended from Wednesday, 25th of December and will resume on Wednesday 8th of January.

Somerset Council is asking for comments on proposed changes to admission arrangements to schools in the County. This includes proposed changes to catchment areas, the number of school places available and how they are allocated. If you have a child due to start or transfer school in September 2026 you may wish to make a comment. The consultation is open now and runs until January 20th.

A Somerset business has been talking about its involvement with the hit film Wicked, which is currently showing in cinemas. Coates English Willow made a balloon basket for the movie.

Staff and children at Tatworth Primary School near Chard are celebrating after winning the annual Somerset School's Maths Challenge. 60 schools took part in the day-long competition with Tatworth's Year-six team, led by teachers, Mrs Hewitson and Mrs Webb, emerging as the overall winners

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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