Wednesday 5th March

Wednesday, 5 March 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. A Somerset charity says it needs more volunteers to help with research into new treatments for dementia. A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm...and more.

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out to buy investment properties by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. The government has given Somerset Council permission to sell properties it owns and use the money to fund services like adult social care but says the original loans, totalling £300 million, have to be paid back, with interest.

A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm at council-run car parks across Somerset. Apart from not charging for overnight parking, the Council has also decided to continue providing free on-street parking in town centres. Shop owner, Susie Thomas, who along with thousands of others signed a petition opposing the charges, says it's good that the Council has listened.

A Somerset-based charity says it needs volunteers to help it with the search for new treatments for dementia. ReMind UK is running clinical trials and academic studies. It says it needs people, with or without dementia, to sign up to trials.

No trains will be running between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary next week. This will allow Network Rail to complete improvements to the Heart of Wessex Line, including repairs to signalling at Yeovil Pen Mill station and removing diseased trees along the line. A rail replacement bus service will be operating between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary, Monday to Friday next week, during the shutdown.

In cricket, Somerset all-rounder, Ben Green will join Leicestershire on loan for their opening seven County Championship matches. The 27-year-old will return to Somerset in time for the Vitality Blast clash against Surrey on May 30th.

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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