Local News Friday 11th June

Friday, 10 June 2022 06:00

Plans to improve the appearance of Yeovil town centre are to be scaled back due to rising costs. Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning following a house fire caused by sunlight. Work to restore the fabric of the historic School House, part of Chard School, in Chard, is nearing completion and Crewkerne boxer, Moken Mills has been crowned New England Boxing National Schools Champion 2022.

Plans to improve the appearance of Yeovil town centre are to be scaled back due to rising costs. South Somerset District Council is aiming to regenerate the town centre through the Yeovil Refresh programme, which combines improvements to public areas, with better transport links and supports private development on brownfield sites. However, the council has now announced that planned works in Wyndham Street have had to be put on hold due to a shortage of cash. The council has budgeted a little over £10.3m to deliver improvements to the public realm in Yeovil town centre - with much of this coming from a £9.75m grant from the government's future high streets fund. Additional funding of £1.7million was agreed upon by the council in February as a result of rising labour and materials costs - which have drastically increased in recent months as a result of Brexit, the Ukraine war and the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning following a house fire caused by sunlight. The property suffered extensive damage after sunlight was refracted off a mirror, setting light to soft furnishings. The fire service says it was a rare event but that homeowners need to be alert to the dangers of exposed glass surfaces reflecting the heat of the sun onto combustible materials.

Work to restore the fabric of the historic School House, part of Chard School, in Chard, is nearing completion. The School House on Fore Street built-in 1583 is one of the oldest buildings in the town and has been renovated with a grant from the Chard High Street Heritage Action Zone. High Street heritage action zone project manager, Anna Matthews says they’re looking forward to working with other building owners in Chard to repair and improve premises through the grant scheme.

Crewkerne boxer, Moken Mills, has been crowned New England Boxing National Schools Champion 2022 making him the best in the Country at his age and weight. The junior boxer defeated his opponent by a unanimous decision in the final of the competition. Moken, who trains at Crewkerne Boxing Club has now gone eight fights without defeat. This latest win makes him the best young boxer in England at his age and weight.

More from News

Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more
News Friday 24th January

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more
Thursday 23rd January

Yeovil Town Council has defended its decision to increase its share of the Council Tax by an average of £80. A man who drove an e-scooter in Yeovil while disqualified from driving has been jailed for six weeks. According to new data, the Yeovil driving test centre is the 12th easiest in the UK to pass a driving test...and more
Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.