Friday 8th March

Friday, 8 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Federation of Small Businesses in Somerset has welcomed the government's decision to raise the threshold for VAT registration. Taunton MP, Rebecca Pow, says plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton are still active despite speculation the scheme has been dropped. Two hundred years of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute is being marked with a special service of thanksgiving in Sherborne Abbey...and more.

A Somerset business leader has welcomed the government's decision to raise the threshold for VAT registration for small businesses. In this week’s budget, the Chancellor announced that firms will only have to register for VAT once their turnover reaches ninety thousand pounds, which is up from the previous limit of eighty-five thousand from April. Ruth Lambert of the Federation of Small Businesses says the increase will benefit many of her members but would have liked more help for small businesses from the Chancellor.

NHS Somerset says a new self-referral service to check signs of womb cancer in women has seen the average wait for an appointment drop from sixty-three to just four days. More than one hundred and fifty patients have made a self-referral since the service was launched last September with Somerset the first county in England to roll it out.

Taunton MP, Rebecca Pow, says plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton are still active. Her comments follow speculation the project has been shelved as part of government spending cuts. The Junior Environment Minister says she has no knowledge of this being the case and that next week is due to meet with the Department of Transport for an update on the scheme.

Nominations close at midnight tonight for this year’s Pride of Somerset Youth Awards. Now in its seventeenth year, the scheme rewards young people under 21 years of age for their acts of bravery, for caring for others or for being outstanding in sport, music, and the arts.

Two hundred years of the RNLI will be marked at a special service of thanksgiving in Sherborne Abbey on Sunday. Chairman of the RNLI Sherborne branch, Chris Copeland, says the service is to give everyone a chance to say a big thank you to the RNLI and remember those volunteers who lost their lives saving others.

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Friday 30th January

Data from the weather centre at RNAS Yeovilton shows rainfall in Somerset was almost double the average for January. A disabled man is taking Somerset Council to the High Court, claiming its council tax reduction scheme is discriminatory. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard is seeking urgent support to replenish its stocks of hay... and more
Thursday 29th January

Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more
Wednesday 28th January

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced plans to develop a new operational base on the Leonardo airfield in Yeovil. Several people have been rescued from their homes in Ilminster due to flooding. An £800,000 project is underway to restore two staircases at Montecute House...and more
Tuesday 27th January

Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more
Monday 26th January

A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more
Friday 23rd January

New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.
Thursday 22nd January

A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more
Wednesday 21st January

Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more