A move to permanently close the road through Chinnock Hollow near Yeovil has been thrown out. Further work is to be carried out to strengthen flood defences around Chard Reservoir. Somerset Council is buying thirty properties to provide safe homes for refugees....and more.
A move by Somerset Council to permanently close the road through Chinnock Hollow near Yeovil has been voted down. The route, connecting the A30 in East Chinnock with Odcombe, was closed three years ago following a landslide. The decision to oppose the closure has put pressure on Somerset Council, who are seeking to make cuts of £100 million, to find the money to get Chinnock Hollow re-opened.
Somerset Council is buying 30 properties to provide safe homes for refugees. The homes are being bought with money from the government's local authority housing fund, allowing councils to purchase accommodation for refugees coming to the UK. The council says the homes will be in urban areas to ensure refugees can easily access local services but has not confirmed where in Somerset the homes will be.
More than 1,000 people in Somerset have now completed training to become Orange Button holders. It means they've had training in suicide prevention and mental health and are able to offer support to those in need.
Further work is to be carried out to strengthen flood defences around Chard Reservoir. It will involve installing an additional structure along Chaffcombe Lane, with the work due to start in the late summer. Somerset Council had originally allocated £99,000 for the improvements but due to their precarious finances, only £21,000 will now be spent.
Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has serious concerns about plans that could see the closure of inpatient beds at Crewkerne Community Hospital. Ilminster residents are being asked to vote in a referendum on adopting a new neighbourhood plan for the town. An event in which people take part in a race against horses is returning to Somerset later this year...and more
A children’s play area in Ilminster has been closed on safety grounds after badger setts were found on the land. Somerset Council sold off £90m of property assets last year to help fight off bankruptcy. Crewkerne Community Hospital could be turned into a neighbourhood health centre...and more.
The fire service has blamed a discarded portable barbecue for starting a blaze at Ham Hill Country Park. A care home for people with autism and complex needs in Crewkerne has been rated 'good'. A seven-year-old Yeovil boy has set a new world record for completing the most number of consecutive sit-ups for his age group...and more
Somerset Council is warning motorists against scanning QR codes at its car parks payment meters. Chard Town Council is spending £10,000 on short-term youth provision over the summer months. Former Yeovil Town player Marcus Stewart says he wants to continue raising money towards finding a cure for motor neurone disease...and more.
A Yeovil woman has shared how she is still on the waiting list for a transplant, a year on. A Crewkerne community group saved two tonnes of food from landfill last month and gave it to residents in need. Yeovil Town have announced their fixture list for the 2025/26 season....and more.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow heat health alert for the South West. A former Cherry Farm in Chard has donated its netting and high-tensile wire to Somerset Aid for Ukraine. Somerset Council is moving forward with its next phase of plans for the county...and more.
Demolition work at Yeovil’s Glovers Walk has been held up after two colonies of bees were discovered. Refurbishment of the town’s Dunelm store is underway. A teenager from Crewkerne has represented his country, winning a gold medal in a national boxing competition... and more.
Adam Dance, MP has challenged the Government over a "failure to tackle rising levels of child poverty" in South Somerset. A man in Chard has been evicted from a property in the town. Temporary changes are being put in place at Yeovil Bus Station... and more