Local News Tuesday 18th January

Tuesday, 18 January 2022 00:00

South Somerset District Council is offering free energy efficiency surveys to local people to help them save money on their energy bills. A temporary timetable has been introduced by South Western Railway. Employers in Somerset are being told they need to think about the mental and physical health impacts of staff working from home. Motorists are facing three weeks of diversions while a key route on the Blackdown Hills is resurfaced. People are being asked to comment on plans for the future of areas of outstanding natural beauty in South Somerset...and more.

South Somerset District Council is offering free energy efficiency surveys to local people to help them save money on their energy bills. The district Council has bought two thermal imaging cameras to show people where heat is escaping from their homes and where better insulation is needed. If you would like a free energy check made on your home, visit the South Somerset District Council website for details.

A temporary timetable has been introduced by South Western Railway, who run trains through Yeovil Crewkerne and Sherborne, following high numbers of staff absences due to the Omicron variant of Coronavirus. The timetable is designed to help key workers, school pupils, and those who have to attend at work, plan their journeys.

Employers in Somerset are being told they need to think about the mental and physical health impacts of staff working from home. The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance suggesting employers talk more to staff who are based at home and do risk assessments with them about their mental health.

Motorists are facing three weeks of diversions while a key route on the Blackdown Hills is resurfaced. Work is due to begin early next month on Blackdown Hill Road, on the Somerset-Devon border that provides a link between the A38 and the A303 west of Ilminster. Motorists are being advised of a 24-mile diversion during the period that resurfacing is taking place.

People are being asked to comment on plans for the future of areas of outstanding natural beauty in South Somerset, including the Blackdown Hills. It follows publication of the government’s proposals to protect England’s AONB’s based on the findings of a Landscapes Review.

A new all-female singing group has launched in Chard. Blackdown Acapella sing in four-part harmony and currently has twenty members. If you’d like to join them, call Chard Town Council for details.

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Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.
Thursday 17th April

The father of a one-month-old baby boy in Chard is to stand trial for the murder of his son. New figures show that just under 1300 crimes were reported to the Police in Yeovil during the final quarter of last year. A night in a prison cell is offered at Shepton Mallet Jail to those who want to be alone this Easter...and more.
Wednesday 16th April

Big changes are being made to where taxi ranks in Yeovil are located. Farmers are being told to keep an extra lookout for people acting suspiciously following the latest livestock theft near the Devon and Somerset border. Channel 4’s Location Location Location is coming to Somerset, with anyone looking to buy a property locally invited to apply to be in the show...and more
Tuesday 15th April

A 36-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of a sexual assault in Yeovil. Yeovil Labour Club has had its drinks licence revoked. NHS Somerset has been taking its physiotherapy team around the county to cut waiting times for patients. A men-only cooking course has been launched in Sherborne with all ingredients and equipment provided free of charge...and more
Monday 14th April

A new banking hub has opened in Crewkerne. South Western Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency over the Easter weekend. £1.8 million is being spent improving walking and cycling routes around a major new housing development at Up Mudford in Yeovil...and more