Local News Friday 10th September

Friday, 10 September 2021 06:00

Opposition is growing over plans to convert a former care home in Yeovil into a place for homeless people. A man has died in an accident on the A303 in South Somerset. A building in Yeovil used by the Park School as a sixth form centre is to be converted to a gym and lifestyle centre. The idea of providing carnival clubs with a place to build their floats in Ilminster is back on. One of the main car dealerships in Chard closes today...and more.

Opposition is growing over plans to convert a former care home in Yeovil into a place for homeless people. Bournemouth Churches Housing Association has applied for a ‘change of use’ on the former Acacia Nursing home on Hendford Hill. If granted, they would close the Pathways Homeless facility on Newton Road in Yeovil and move it to Hendford Hill but people who live in the area are concerned that incidents of anti-social behaviour in Newton Road could transfer to Hendford Hill.

A man has died in an accident on the A303 in South Somerset. It happened between the IIchester junction and Podimore roundabout at around 9.30 am yesterday morning.

A building in Yeovil used by the Park School as a sixth form centre is to be converted to a gym and lifestyle centre. South Somerset District Council agreed to the ‘change of use’ after being told the building would not materially alter in appearance.

One of the main car dealerships in Chard closes today. Chard Ford on Fore Street has been in the town for 15-years. Business owners, the Foray Motor Group, said customers should visit their Yeovil Ford dealership. They say all the staff at Chard Ford have been found other jobs within the group.

The idea of providing carnival clubs with a place to build their floats in Ilminster is back on. A mix-up over a planning application led to the project being dropped. Now, Ilminster Town Council has put its name to building the Carnival Park and re-submitted the planning application. If approved by the district council, the Carnival Park will be on land off Longforward Lane, in between Kingstone and The Seavingtons.

This year's NASS Festival at the Bath and West Showground has been cancelled. The music, skating and BMX riding event was to have taken place between the 23rd and 26th of September. But organisers say concerns about further lockdowns and the cost of insurance had made it non-viable. Tickets will be rolled over to next year or refunded.

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Tuesday 22nd July

Somerset Community Foundation has launched a "Together for West Somerset Appeal" to help families affected by last Thursday's school coach crash on Exmoor. People in Somerset are being encouraged to improve their recycling of food waste. Free family cooking sessions are being held in Chard. A new children’s soft play area is soon to open in Yeovil...and more
Monday 21st July

A GoFundMe page set up to support families of last week’s Exmoor bus crash, in which a 10-year-old boy died, has raised over forty thousand pounds. A local councillor is calling for the introduction of speed cameras on the A30, from Yeovil to Sherborne. A group from a school in Ilchester have hiked 26 miles across the Jurassic Coast to fundraise in memory of a school colleague...and more
Friday 18th July

EDF has completed another milestone in constructing the new 'Hinkley C' nuclear power plant near Bridgwater. The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire opens today with helicopters built in Yeovil on display. A road leading to Chard reservoir, shut two months ago for strengthening work to a dam wall, has re-opened...and more
Thursday 17th July

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
Wednesday 16th July

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.
Tuesday 15th July

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
Monday 14th July

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.
Friday 10th July

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.