Local News Wednesday 14th April

Wednesday, 14 April 2021 07:30

Police are looking for witnesses to the dangerous driving incident in Yeovil. Yeovil Hospital says online medical appointments have risen dramatically during the lockdown with more and more patients choosing not to visit the hospital because of fears over Covid. A bank in Chard is set to close at the end of June. A nature charity is asking people in Somerset to count and record cowslips in their area...and more.

Police are looking for witnesses to the dangerous driving incident in Yeovil. It happened on Sunday at about 5.45 pm when a silver VW Golf failed to stop for police on the Queensway. The car then travelled at speed towards Mudford Sock where it narrowly missed a family with children. Shortly afterwards, a horse rider was forced into the hedge by the car. Anyone who saw what happened is asked to call the police non-emergency number 101.

Yeovil Hospital says online medical appointments have risen dramatically during the lockdown with more and more patients choosing not to visit the hospital because of fears over Covid. The hospital’s introducing a virtual assessment app to help reduce still further the number of patient visits to the hospital.

A bank in Chard is set to close at the end of June. Barclays, on Fore Street, says it’s closing the branch due to a fall in the number of customers using it in-person.

A nature charity is asking people in Somerset to count and record cowslips in their area. It's part of a survey by the conservation charity Plantlife to monitor the health of threatened meadows.

Plans have been submitted to build 50 new homes at Horton, near Ilminster. The development would be on land close to the Southfields roundabout on the A303. South Somerset District Council is expected to make a decision on the application later this year.

Somerset councils, including South Somerset District, and local town and parish councils, are urging the government not to force them into resuming face-to-face meetings. The government has announced the lifting of the temporary legislation, which allowed councillors to meet virtually during the pandemic, from May 6th. A legal challenge against the decision is due to be heard by the High Court next week.

Former Somerset County Council Leader, Baroness Cathy Bakewell has paid tribute to the Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Shirley Williams who died earlier this week. Baroness Bakewell, who lives at Hardington near Yeovil, said she had been a lifelong admirer of Baroness Williams and described her as someone who ‘changed the political landscape'.

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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.
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.