Local News Thursday 29th September

Thursday, 29 September 2022 06:00

A report from the Rural Services Network has found that people living in Somerset are struggling more than people living in urban areas with the cost of living crisis. A Yeovil man has been jailed for eight months for dangerous driving. 4,000 people have now signed a petition calling for the scrapping of plans to transfer a mental health unit in Wells to Yeovil. There’s a chance to find out more about the running of Yeovil Hospital today and people in Chard are being asked to comment on plans to upgrade the play area in Henson Park.

A report from the Rural Services Network has found that people living in Somerset are struggling more than people living in urban areas with the cost of living crisis. It found that people with homes in the countryside have been impacted to a far greater extent by rising energy bills, transport costs, and lower wages. Graham Biggs, CEO of the Rural Services Network says the government needs to invest more heavily in rural areas.

A Yeovil man has been jailed for eight months for dangerous driving. Matthew Goodchild of Fosse Park Road was clocked travelling at 90 mph during a police chase that ended with his car crashing into a traffic bollard on Newton Road. Goodchild was further charged with driving while disqualified and without insurance, and banned from driving for 28 months.

4,000 people have now signed a petition calling for the scrapping of plans to transfer a mental health unit in Wells to Yeovil. It was proposed in 2020 that St Andrews Mental Health Ward in Wells should move to Summerlands site on Preston Road in Yeovil but a final decision has yet to be made. Objectors plan a protest in Frome today where members of the new Integrated Care Board for Somerset are meeting.

There’s a chance to find out more about the running of Yeovil Hospital today. The committee responsible for the management of Yeovil Hospital is holding its annual general meeting this afternoon. The AGM of Yeovil Hospital NHS Foundation Trust takes place at Monks Yard at Horton Cross near Ilminster starting at 3 pm and is open for the public to attend.

People in Chard are being asked to comment on plans to upgrade the play area in Henson Park. The plans include providing a basket swing, rock n' bowl, surf rider, stepping logs, and five-a-side football goals for children to play on. The survey can be found on the Chard Town Council website.

More from News

Thursday 3rd July

Dorset County Hospital is preparing to handle an increased number of births from now until the end of the year, following the closure of Yeovil Hospital's Maternity Unit. A number of former and current serving military personnel are pursuing the Ministry of Defence for compensation. Vandals have damaged a wooden shelter at the recreation ground in Ilminster...and more
Wednesday 2nd July

Business owners in Chard say ongoing roadworks in Fore Street are hurting their trade. A vehicle has been destroyed in a fire at a farm at Charlton Mackrell. A new recycling scheme has been launched to support Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Castle Carey has created a Scarecrow Festival...and more
Tuesday 1st July

A murder trial starts today of the parents of a baby boy who died in Yeovil Hospital. Somerset residents are being asked to keep an eye on elderly neighbours, with temperatures expected to reach the high 20s again today. A tiny black kitten has been found inside a crate of laundry delivered to a cleaning business in Yeovil...and more
Monday 30th June

The Care Quality Commission has published its report into the running of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. A public consultation has been launched into plans to build 150 new homes at Horton near Ilminster. A Chard man has embarked on walking 75 miles across Somerset, raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance...and more
Friday 27th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for Yeovil Hospital to be included in the government's national review of NHS maternity services. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with four counts of fraud. Yeovil Town players will be modelling the club’s new home and away strip at Huish Park this evening...and more.
Thursday 26th June

Thousands more music fans will arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury Festival. The government has granted Somerset Council a stay of execution, allowing it to defer a spending deficit on special needs education. A party has been held to mark the 100th birthday of a Somerset woman who has lived in the same house for 100 years...and more.
Wednesday 25th June

Businesses at the Cartgate services off the A303 near Yeovil say they feel threatened by Welcome Break Ltd's plans to build a new, bigger services area right next door. A man who lives in Tintinhull, found nearly double the drink drive limit, has been given a 20-month driving ban. Police are warning of fake tickets being on sale for Glastonbury Festival...and more
Tuesday 24th June

There’s been a drop in the number of potholes being filled in on Somerset’s roads. A Somerset company has developed a new type of un-crewed helicopter. A man has cycled from Spain to Somerset to attend Glastonbury Festival...and more