Local News Friday 4th June

    Strawberries grown in Somerset this year are set to be bigger and juicier thanks to unseasonal weather in May. Drivers travelling between the A303 Ilminster bypass and the M5 may have to wait until 2028 for the journey to take less time. The Environment Agency says there’s ‘no quick fix’ to the problem of water pollution in protected habitats on Somerset's Levels. People in South Somerset have until 5 pm today to vote on the planned changes to local government in the County...and more.

    Strawberries grown in Somerset this year are set to be bigger and juicier thanks to unseasonal weather in May. Fruit farmers in the County claim the local strawberry crop this summer will be one of the tastiest on record

    Drivers travelling between the A303 Ilminster bypass and the M5 may have to wait until 2028 for the journey to take less time. Highways England plan to dual the A358 between the Southfields roundabout near Ilminster and Junction 25 on the M5 at Taunton to make it easier to get between the two places but before work can start, the public has to be consulted on the plans and detailed design work carried out which could take several more years to complete.

    The Environment Agency says there’s ‘no quick fix’ to the problem of water pollution in protected habitats on Somerset's Levels. Natural England has downgraded the water quality status of some sites on the Levels and called for urgent action to reduce pollutants, called phosphates, which harm wildlife. 

    People in South Somerset have until 5 pm today (04-06) to vote on the planned changes to local government in the County. The government is considering replacing Somerset’s five existing councils with one or two councils. The one council option is supported by the County Council. The two council option, with one based on the eastern side of Somerset, the other on the western side and this proposal is supported by Somerset’s four District Councils. The result of the poll is due to be announced on Monday.

    A new subscription service for using e-scooters in Yeovil has been launched. Z-wings, who run the e-scooters in the town, has introduced a Z-wings Ride Pass for riders to buy passes based on how much they use e-scooters. Four pass options are available ranging in price from £50 to just £5.

    More from News

    • Tuesday 30th April

      Somerset Council is taking legal action to remove an arms company from one of its commercial properties. Waste collection days across Somerset are set to change next month due to two impending bank holidays. An archaeological survey has begun on the proposed site of a new skate park in Bruton... and more.

    • Monday 29th April

      Somerset’s busiest speed camera in 2023 has been revealed as the camera on the westbound carriageway of the A303 between the Podimore Roundabout and the Hazelgrove Roundabout. Bus campaigners are calling on Somerset Council to keep the public toilets open at Yeovil bus station. The funeral has taken place in Yeovil of D-Day veteran, Bill Tolley, who has died at the age of 97...and more.

    • Friday 26 April

      A man has been arrested in Castle Cary and charged with stalking, harassment and making threats to kill. The NHS in Somerset says its staff retention rate has improved over the past two years. A farmer in South Petherton is preparing to cycle 1,000 miles to raise money for charity...and more.

    • Thursday 25th April

      The NHS is offering spring COVID-19 vaccines to people in Somerset who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus. A new way of making roads safer for children in Somerset has started this week. A Yeovil-based apprentice has been named as a winner in the JTL Regional Awards. Haselbury Mill near Crewkerne has been put up for sale...and more

    • Wednesday 24th April 

      Yeovil Town FC have sent a strongly worded letter to the Football Association asking for plans to end FA Cup replays to be dropped. A Somerset woman who's spent the last 32 years living with Hepatitis C, says better support is needed for those affected by the contaminated blood scandal. A new school of musical theatre has opened in Chard...and more.

    • Tuesday 23rd April

      Two teenage boys have admitted animal cruelty after filming themselves throwing a lamb down a stone staircase at Montacute. Somerset Council could lose around £5 million by selling the Marks and Spencer building in Yeovil. Chard, Wincanton, Castle Cary and Ansford are on a list of fifteen places in Somerset where new 20 mph speed limits could soon be introduced...and more.

    • Monday 22nd April

      The parents of a two-week-old baby boy, accused of his murder at Yeovil Hospital, are to stand trial. Protesters have splashed red paint across the front of County Hall in Taunton for a second time. A comedy film about the world of competitive marrow-growing and made in Shepton Mallet has opened in cinemas across the UK...and more. 

    • Friday 19th April

      Work starts today building a new eastbound carriageway as part of dualling the A303 between Sparkford and Podimore. A childhood obesity clinic in Somerset has revealed that it is treating children as young as eight months old. Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched a campaign to recruit an army of young people to act as conservation champions...and more.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Heavy Rain

      High: 14°C | Low: 8°C

    • Chard

      Heavy Rain

      High: 12°C | Low: 7°C

    • Crewkerne

      Heavy Rain

      High: 12°C | Low: 7°C

    • Somerton

      Heavy Rain

      High: 14°C | Low: 8°C

    • Wincanton

      Heavy Rain

      High: 15°C | Low: 8°C

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