Wednesday 6th November

Wednesday, 6 November 2024 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

St Margaret's Hospice says increased employer’s national insurance contributions will cost them an extra £300,000 a year. A man has been arrested after more than 200 cannabis plants were found in a Yeovil property. Voting will take place on November 21st in the Blackmore Vale to fill a vacant seat on Somerset Council...and more

St Margaret's Hospice says increased employer’s national insurance contributions will cost them an extra £300,000 a year. It's one of many charities in Somerset that will be hit hard by the rise announced in last week’s budget. Weston Hospicecare says it's facing a bleak financial picture and the disabled children's charity, Brainwave, based in Bridgwater, says its costs will go up by £60,000 a year.

More than 200 cannabis plants have been found inside a disused building in Middle Street in Yeovil. Police say a 38-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating a class B drug and remains in custody.

Hundreds of compulsory redundancies at Somerset Council could mean it is left without the right staff to deliver vital services. The risk was highlighted in a report to a meeting of the Council’s Executive.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for changes to the Southfields roundabout at the junction of the Ilminster by-pass and the A358. Mr Dance says the roundabout is frequently congested, with long tailbacks in all directions especially at peak times, and a solution is needed. He also wants consideration given to making the Ilminster bypass safer for motorists. His comments follow the decision to cancel a £328 million scheme to dual the A358 over to Taunton.

Voting will take place on Thursday, November 21st in the Blackmore Vale to fill a vacant seat on Somerset Council. The candidates standing are Hayward Burt (Conservative); Gregory Chambers (Labour); Peter Ebsworth (Green Party); and Howard Ellard (Liberal Democrat).

More from News

Thursday 12th November

Somerset’s gritters are on standby as temperatures fall below freezing in parts of the county. A major restoration project at Montacute House near Yeovil is nearing completion. Two pubs in our area have been named among the UK's top 100 in the latest Good Food Guide rankings... and more
Wednesday 11th November

Two-thirds of police officers at Avon and Somerset Police say they're often too fatigued to carry out their duties. A local councillor is calling for more female-only accommodation to be provided to help end rough sleeping. Somerset’s motorway service stations have been ranked among some of the worst in the country... and more
Tuesday 10th November

Somerset’s housing target could be cut by almost 15,000 homes. More than half a million pounds in Arts Council funding to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre has been handed back. People in Somerset with type 2 diabetes are being invited to join a new research study... and more
Monday 9th November

Facial recognition cameras are to be used by police in Somerset for the first time. Badger culling against bovine TB has officially ended in Somerset. The 5-star Summer Lodge Hotel in Evershot has a new owner...and more
Friday 6th November

Up to 70 jobs could go at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Police are investigating a fire at the former Pittard factory in Yeovil. Families on low incomes are being offered tickets at just £3 to this year’s Yeovil pantomime...and more
Thursday 5th November

South West Water says reservoir levels in Somerset are starting to recover after recent heavy rainfall. Castle Cary railway station is to get a new footbridge. A young dancer from Martock has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet... and more
Wednesday 4th November

People in Somerset will go to the polls in May 2028 to elect a new mayor for the Wessex region. A Somerset farmer who failed a breath test after being caught asleep at the wheel of his tractor has narrowly avoided losing his driving licence. The new Ham Hill Visitor Centre has been named a regional winner in the Building Excellence Awards 2026... and more
tuesday 3rd November

Somerset Council says it doesn’t have the money to improve its planning enforcement team. Drivers are being advised that work to replace the central barrier on the M5 near Wellington starts this week. A health food shop in Chard has been crowned High Street Shop of the Year... and more