Friday 23rd May

Friday, 23 May 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Ten extra maternity beds have been made available at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital following the closure of Yeovil's maternity unit. Some Glastonbury festival goers say they've been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a glamping business was liquidated. Chard Fire Station is asking businesses to offer their buildings for fire training. The Cotley Inn, in Wambrook, has been placed on a top 10 list of the best pubs in Britain...and more.

Ten extra maternity beds have been made available at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital following the closure of Yeovil's maternity unit. The baby ward at Yeovil Hospital closed earlier this week following safety concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, says some staff have been retained to carry out antenatal appointments.

Children’s Services in Somerset is trialling artificial intelligence to speed up the time it takes to process individual cases. Parents are being consulted about the idea, which is also being tried by other councils to improve targets.

Some Glastonbury festival goers say they've been left thousands of pounds out of pocket after a glamping business was liquidated. Yurtel, based in Corsham near Bath, charged between £10,000 and £16,500 for their hospitality tickets and accommodation. Customers have been told their bookings won't be fulfilled after the company ceased trading earlier this month.

Following an inspection, a school near Chard has been described as a "beacon of love and friendship." Inspectors from the Anglican and Methodist Schools Service praised St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School at Chardstock for "living up to its foundation as a Church school" and for its inclusive environment, where those with special education needs and disabilities "thrive."

Chard Fire Station is asking businesses to offer their buildings for fire training. Each week, firefighters are required to practice various scenarios using different buildings in various locations.

The Cotley Inn at Wambrook has been placed in a top 10 list of the best pubs in Britain. The poll was based on the number of Google searches for the Cotley Inn during April.

More from News

Friday 22nd May

The National Farmers Union in Somerset has welcomed the government’s new trade deal with six Gulf countries. Campaigners say Somerset’s canals and locks are in urgent need new investment. The Liverpool comedian John Bishop is heading to Somerset later this year...and more
Thursday 21st May

Police are being asked to cut the time the M5 is closed following accidents. Plans to build a major solar farm near Chard have been thrown out. Aldi is asking shoppers to help find locations for new stores in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 20th May

People in Somerset are being encouraged to get their cholesterol checked to cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A Chard man has appeared in court charged with using threatening behaviour. A gardener from Somerset has won a silver award at the Chelsea Flower Show... and more
Tuesday 19th May

A Somerset car boot business says it will no longer accept twenty-pound notes after being handed counterfeit notes.Taunton Flower Show is warning this year’s event could be its last. Numatic, makers of the Henry vacuum cleaner, have invested one-and-a-half million pounds installing new solar panels at their factory in Chard... and more
Monday 18th May

The RSPCA is investigating after eleven newborn puppies were abandoned in Snowdon Park in Chard. Major funding has been announced for a new two-year arts programme in Yeovil. Plans have been unveiled to improve sports facilities at Somerton Recreation Ground...and more
Friday 15th May

A fire that damaged two vehicles in Chaffcombe near Chard is being treated as deliberate. A road in Hardington Mandeville is set to re-open today after being closed for three days. Friends, family and colleagues of a Royal Navy officer based at RNAS Yeovilton are taking on a 630-mile coastal challenge in her memory... and more
Thursday 14th May

Somerset Council has defended spending nineteen million pounds on consultants over the past three years. A new clinic specialising in sexual health has opened in Yeovil. RNAS Yeovilton has been in the TV spotlight this week after featuring on Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr...and more
Wednesday 13th May

Concern's been expressed that too many of the 580 new council homes being built in Somerset will be clustered around Taunton and Bridgwater. Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman died following a crash on the M5. Haynes Motor Museum has been awarded £180,000 by The National Lottery to transform its Red Room gallery... and more