Wednesday 4th June

Wednesday, 4 June 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council states that gas canisters were responsible for igniting six fires at local sorting facilities last year. A leading medical academic in the South West says vaccine fatigue could be the reason why so many vulnerable people are not having a COVID-19 spring booster jab. Avon and Somerset Police say the waiting time for calls to be answered to the non-emergency number 101 has been cut to an average of 11 seconds...and more

Somerset Council say that gas canisters, such as those used for camping stoves, were responsible for igniting six fires at local sorting facilities last year. It's warning of the dangers of putting out canisters with other household waste for collection at the kerbside. The council is asking that gas canisters be taken to local recycling sites, where they can be safely disposed of free of charge.

A leading academic in the South West says vaccine fatigue could be the reason why so many vulnerable people are not having a COVID-19 spring booster jab. Dr Bharat Pankhania from the University of Exeter was commenting after NHS Somerset revealed that 7 out of 10 clinically vulnerable people have yet to receive a Covid Spring booster. He says regular boosters are vital to protecting against catching Covid.

People in Somerset have just ten weeks in which to give their views on how the County’s electoral map could be redrawn ahead of the next local elections in 2027. Somerset Council was created with 110 elected members, two for each of the 55 divisions on boundaries inherited from Somerset County Council, and is now proposing to cut the number of councillors to 96. For further details about the changes and to leave a comment, go to the Somerset Council website

A Somerset father has described government cuts to therapy funding for adopted children as "extremely cruel". Jeremy Wilson, who has three adopted children, says a 40% reduction in the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund will be damaging to families like his.

A section of Ilchester Road in Yeovil will again be closed to traffic in both directions from 6 pm this evening to 6 am tomorrow. It’s to allow Wessex Water to carry essential repairs to a water main.

Avon and Somerset Police say the waiting time for calls to 101 to be answered has been cut to an average of 11 seconds. They say updates to the non-emergency number now mean that simple queries are responded to quickly, with more time-consuming calls passed to call handlers.

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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