Local News Wednesday 12th May

    Disruption to rail services on the London line through Castle Cary is set to last until the end of the week. Somerset's gritting lorries travelled a record number of miles last winter. South Somerset District Council is to continue holding meetings online, for the time being. Journalist and broadcaster, Mariella Frostrup, is the new President of the Somerset branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England...andmore.

    Disruption to rail services on the London line through Castle Cary is set to last until the end of the week, according to GWR. It follows hairline cracks being found in the chassis of some trains and the trains being taken out of service. Great Western is hoping things will return to normal by the weekend but says people should not travel unless the journey is essential. 

    Somerset's gritting lorries travelled a record number of miles last winter. The County’s fleet of 23 gritters were called out on 66 occasions and laid salt on more than 70,000 miles of local roads. In the winter of last year, the same number of vehicles salted just 44,000 miles of local roads.

    South Somerset District Council is to continue holding meetings online, for the time being. Special measures banning face-to-face meetings introduced at the start of the pandemic expired last week, and organisations representing local councils are pressing the government for clarity on the issue.

    Journalist and broadcaster, Mariella Frostrup, is the new President of the Somerset branch of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England. Ms Frostrup, who lives in Bruton, takes over as Head of the local CPRE from Roger Martin.

    Long Hazel Park camping and caravan park at Sparkford has been voted Holiday Park of the Year in the Somerset Tourism Awards. Owners, Alan and Pamela Walton say winning the title has given them a great start to the new holiday season.

    More from News

    • Friday 3rd May

      Labour’s Clare Moody is the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. Somerset Council is looking to buy the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil, including Yeovil Bus Station. One of the biggest events in Yeovil’s outdoor calendar, the Abbey Hill Steam Rally, starts today...and more.

    • Thursday 2nd May

      Voting is taking place today to elect a new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. NHS Somerset says the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital will stay open until a new replacement unit is built in Dorchester. A supermarket worker has retired after spending 52 years working at the same store in Ilminster...and more.

    • Wednesday 1st May

      SUEZ, the company that collects Somerset’s waste is warning it may cease operations. Twenty thousand pounds is being spent cleaning red paint off the front of County Hall in Taunton following a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. An occupational therapist at Yeovil Hospital has won an award for her smart appearance at work...and more.

    • 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.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Medium-level cloud

      High: 15°C | Low: 4°C

    • Chard

      Low-level cloud

      High: 14°C | Low: 4°C

    • Crewkerne

      Low-level cloud

      High: 14°C | Low: 4°C

    • Somerton

      Medium-level cloud

      High: 14°C | Low: 4°C

    • Wincanton

      Light rain

      High: 14°C | Low: 4°C