Friday 22nd March

Friday, 22 March 2024 11:35

By Steve Haigh

A by-election for a seat on Yeovil Town Council has been won by the Yeovil Independents. Owners of empty properties in Somerset will be paying double in council tax from April. A Somerset man is celebrating after finding England’s largest ever nugget of gold, said to be worth £30,000, using a metal detector...and more.

A by-election held in the Westland ward in Yeovil for a seat on Yeovil Town Council has been won by Ruth White for the Yeovil Independents. She polled 482 votes, beating Justice Jimba for the Liberal Democrats on 335 votes into second place. Terry Ledlie for Labour came third with 123 votes. The result increases Yeovil Independents' representation on Yeovil Town Council to 3 members.

Owners of empty properties in Somerset will be paying double in council tax from April. It follows a decision by Somerset Council to charge double council tax on properties left empty for 12 months or more. The Council estimates the change will raise an extra £1.7 million every year in council tax revenues.

Plans to build 24 new homes in Martock have finally been approved, four years after they were first proposed. Stonewater Housing Association has won permission to build the properties on Foldhill Lane, opposite the La Fontana dementia nursing home. The application had been delayed by the phosphates issue, with the developer having to put in place additional mitigation measures. Construction is expected to start later this year.

A Somerset man is celebrating after finding England’s largest-ever nugget of gold using a metal detector. Richard Brocks nearly missed the search in Shropshire, turning up hours late and with dodgy equipment. His find, estimated to be worth £30,000, has now been put up for auction online.

Funding's been secured to expand a programme in Somerset helping women back into work after becoming parents. Set up four years ago, the Woman's Work Lab has supported over 300 mothers with up to 70 per cent returning to employment. Now three courses a year are being run locally.

Herne Hill Nature Reserve in Ilminster is to be provided with five new dog waste bins. Ilminster Town Council has been given funding for the bins through the Community Champion Fund run by Persimmon Homes South West. The Council says the bins should create a cleaner and safer environment for people visiting the reserve.

More from News

Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.
Thursday 17th April

The father of a one-month-old baby boy in Chard is to stand trial for the murder of his son. New figures show that just under 1300 crimes were reported to the Police in Yeovil during the final quarter of last year. A night in a prison cell is offered at Shepton Mallet Jail to those who want to be alone this Easter...and more.
Wednesday 16th April

Big changes are being made to where taxi ranks in Yeovil are located. Farmers are being told to keep an extra lookout for people acting suspiciously following the latest livestock theft near the Devon and Somerset border. Channel 4’s Location Location Location is coming to Somerset, with anyone looking to buy a property locally invited to apply to be in the show...and more
Tuesday 15th April

A 36-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of a sexual assault in Yeovil. Yeovil Labour Club has had its drinks licence revoked. NHS Somerset has been taking its physiotherapy team around the county to cut waiting times for patients. A men-only cooking course has been launched in Sherborne with all ingredients and equipment provided free of charge...and more
Monday 14th April

A new banking hub has opened in Crewkerne. South Western Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency over the Easter weekend. £1.8 million is being spent improving walking and cycling routes around a major new housing development at Up Mudford in Yeovil...and more