Local News Thursday 24th November

Thursday, 24 November 2022 06:00

A survey has shown that it’s become almost impossible to book an NHS dental appointment in Chard, Ilminster, Crewkerne and Martock. It’s been confirmed that people in Somerset on the lowest incomes will not have to pay any council tax from next April. We're being asked to take extra care when using electric heaters. Children are being invited to enter a competition to design a Christmas card for Avon and Somerset Police...and more.

A survey has shown that it’s become almost impossible to book an NHS dental appointment in Chard, Ilminster, Crewkerne and Martock. Of eight dental practices questioned, none said they were accepting new patients, with two saying that patients would have to be ‘referred’ for them to receive treatment. The survey comes after the British Dental Association gave a warning that NHS dentistry in Somerset is on the brink of collapse.

It’s been confirmed that people in Somerset on the lowest incomes will not have to pay any council tax from next April. The decision was made at a meeting yesterday of Somerset County Council. Foster carers will also get a 50% reduction on their rates bills next year.

We're being asked to take extra care when using electric heaters. There's concern about a fire risk as more people use electric heaters to keep warm and cut energy costs. The charity Electrical Safety First says electric blankets, especially those that are several years old, also present a fire risk.

Anyone who worked at, or has connections with the old Morland's and Baily's sheepskin factories in Glastonbury is being invited to get involved in a new heritage project. It’s aimed at celebrating the town's working-class history.

Children are being invited to enter a competition to design a Christmas card for Avon and Somerset Police. To take part, children aged four to eleven should submit a simple drawing on the theme of ‘How police keep communities safe’. Two winners will receive a visit from the Police mounted section at home or at school, plus a gift voucher. The closing date for entries is Friday, December 2nd. More details can be found on the Avon and Somerset Police website.

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Thursday 18th April

A Martock man has been jailed after admitting to shining lasers at aircraft flying over Yeovil. Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the TK Maxx store at Babylon Hill. Nearly four hundred people have put their names forward for redundancy at Somerset Council...and more.
Wednesday 17 April

Three local primary schools have been named on a list of England's top five hundred primary schools. A new co-working space for businesswomen has opened in Wincanton. Urgent repairs are being carried out to Ilminster's new public clock after it started showing the wrong time...and more
Tuesday 16th April

A new operator has been found to run a Chard care home that has been at risk of closure. A licence has been granted to run a new music festival in West Dorset. People have until midnight tonight to register for a vote in the election for a Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset...and more.
Monday 15th April

Four people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal supply of prescription-only drugs in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has appeared in court in connection with two burglaries in Langport. A well-known farm and restaurant business in South Petherton has been put up for sale. New figures have shown a further decline in the number of House Sparrows in Somerset...and more.
Friday 12th April

Yeovil Town will play National League football next season after beating Truro 2-0 last night to win promotion and the National League South title. Somerset Council says the cost of keeping Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre closed has risen to £140,000 a year. A holiday website has reported a 31 percent upturn in visitor numbers to Somerset...and more.
Thursday 11th April

Yeovil Town get another chance tonight to clinch promotion when they play away against Truro. Citizens Advice in Somerset says people are continuing to struggle with the cost of living. Some of England’s loudest voices will be heard in Yeovil later this month when the town's annual town crier competition takes place...and more,
Wednesday 10th April

A former sub-postmaster from Wincanton says she's having to work a 70-hour week to pay off debts she incurred due to the Post Office IT scandal. Two people have been fined for illegal fishing in Yeovil. Images of wildlife taken by a photographer in Somerton have been chosen to feature on a new set of charity cards...and more.
Tuesday 9th April

Lloyds Bank is being asked to reconsider closing its branch in Ilminster, leaving the town without a bank. A stretch of the A303 will close later this month as part of dualling the road between Sparkford and Podimore. A dragon parade is to be held in Chard later this month to mark St George’s Day...and more.