Yeovil’s Leonardo Helicopters appear to be the only remaining bidder for new MoD helicopter projects. A major Castle Cary employer will be able to expand its operations, following the backing of local councillors. The donations to Yeovil’s MP Adam Dance have been revealed... and more.
Yeovil’s Leonardo Helicopters UK appear to be the only remaining bidder for the new Ministry of Defence helicopter projects. The company submitted a bid alongside Airbus and Lockheed Martin but it is understood that the latter two companies are no longer pursuing the contract.
Meanwhile, a major Castle Cary employer will be able to expand its operations, following the unanimous backing of local councillors. MWI Animal Health has been based on the Torbay Road industrial estate for over 40 years. The approval for the company to partially demolish its existing buildings and construct a new storage facility with improved lorry loading and an overflow car park, means work could get underway before the end of the year.
The donations to Yeovil’s MP Adam Dance have been revealed. MPs are required to declare their financial interests and the declaration shows that Dance received £30,500 in donations in the last year, including funding from former Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, the former Yeovil MP David Laws and Lady Jane Ashdown, the widow of Paddy Ashdown.
1st Chard Scout Group is looking for adult volunteers to join them. They meet on Monday and Tuesday nights and are hoping there are some local people with a few hours to spare each week who can help out. You can find more information, along with job criteria, on their Facebook page.
And a damaged boxing glove that once belonged to Mohammad Ali will be opened to bids this month through Chard’s Stuart Bull Auctions. The glove, originally manufactured by Baily’s of Glastonbury, was worn in a famous match with Henry Cooper in 1963.
It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more