Friday 3rd November

Friday, 3 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is looking to sell off £220 million of commercial properties at a potential loss of £70 million to help stave off bankruptcy. A teacher in Wincanton has been banned from working in schools after completing a prison sentence for asking pupils to send him indecent images. Despite the damp conditions, tonight's fireworks display at Minterne House near Sherborne is going ahead...and more.

Somerset Council is looking to sell off £220 million of commercial properties at a potential loss of £70 million. The move follows news that Somerset Council has to make huge savings in its spending or face bankruptcy. The Council's portfolio of properties includes ownership of shop premises like the Marks and Spencer store in Yeovil, office buildings and other commercial units both in Somerset and other parts of the country.

A teacher in Wincanton has been banned from working in schools indefinitely after completing a prison sentence for asking pupils to send him indecent images. 35-year-old Scott Evans, who taught at King Arthur’s School, served a two-year-and-four-month prison sentence after being convicted in 2021. The Teacher Regulation Authority, part of the Education Department, said there was no evidence that his actions were not deliberate.

The number of councillors on Somerset Council could be cut by the time of the next local elections. The Council currently has 110 members which is the third highest of any upper-tier or unitary authority in England. Now, the Local Government Boundary Commission is to hold a review and has indicated the number of seats on Somerset Council could reduce to between 70 and 90 by the time the next local elections in May 2027. The review will also look into the boundaries of the existing council divisions and may rename some divisions to reflect their local character.

Despite the damp conditions, Minterne House near Sherborne say their fireworks display tonight is going ahead as planned. Gates to the house open at 5 pm with the fireworks starting at 7.30 pm.

More from News

Thursday 26th March

Somerset Council is offering food vouchers during the school easter holidays to families whose children receive free school meals. A local man has been charged in connection with an incident involving a firearm in Yeovil. The Environment Agency says it could take up to 10 years to protect homes at Holway House Park and Home Farm Park in Ilminster from flooding...and more.
Wednesday 25th March

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has raised concerns in the House of Commons about the planned closure of Yeovil Hospital’s hyper-acute stroke unit. Police in Yeovil are appealing for information after a man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm. A 13-year-old terrier named Mole has been rescued after becoming trapped underground...and more
Tuesday 24th March

Yeovil College has received a glowing report following an Ofsted inspection. The main road between Chard and Ilminster is to be better protected from flooding. A six-thousand-year-old wooden walkway has been uncovered on the Somerset Levels... and more
Monday 23rd March

A wildcat helicopter belonging 815 Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton has been in action tracking two Russian ships in the English Channel. People living in Somerset will have to pay to use Dorset’s household waste recycling centres from today. A road in Ilminster has closed to traffic today and will stay shut for the next ten days... and more
Friday 20th March

Police are appealing for witnesses to a three-vehicle crash in Sherborne. The jobs of housing maintenance staff at Somerset Council could be outsourced to a private contractor. A pie throwing event is taking place in Chard today for Red Nose Day ... and more
Thursday 19th March

Farmers in Somerset say they're struggling after a doubling in the price of red diesel. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised Donald Trump over his comments about people with learning disabilities. A Somerset woman whose father was killed in a crash on the M5 is running the London Marathon to raise money for South West Ambulance...and more
Wednesday 18th March

The murder of a two-week-old baby by his father at Yeovil Hospital could not have been predicted, according to a new report. A road in Ilminster is to close to traffic for eleven days later this month. A new Post Office counter is to open in Somerton... and more
Tuesday 17th March

The government is being asked to help fund Somerset's carnivals. Bridgwater Town Council wants more trains to stop at the town’s railway station. A fund raising pie throwing event is taking place for Red Nose Day in Chard... and more