Local News Wednesday 4th January

Wednesday, 4 January 2023 06:00

Councillors at South Somerset District Council meet tomorrow to decide on providing further funding to the Yeovil Refresh Project. A unit in Crewkerne for children who struggle with mainstream schooling is being praised for reducing school exclusions. A Somerton man’s been jailed for two years for attacking his wife with a knife. NFU Mutual in Yeovil has made a donation of £6,000 to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Sherborne Golf Club has been given planning permission to extend its clubhouse...and more.

Councillors at South Somerset District Council meet tomorrow to decide on providing further funding to the Yeovil Refresh Project. Yeovil Refresh, aimed at improving the look of Yeovil town centre, is already £4 million over budget with two years of work still to be completed. Now, councillors are being asked to provide a further £2 million to cover unplanned works, pushing up the budget for the project to £24.1 million.

A unit in Crewkerne for children who struggle with mainstream schooling is being praised for reducing school exclusions. The Apex Centre uses therapy techniques like animal therapy, forestry and cooking to teach children. It’s run by the Bridgwater and Taunton College Trust which say exclusions at its seven primary and secondary schools are down by 30%.

A Somerton man’s been jailed for two years for attacking his wife with a knife. Paul Green of Pearmain Road pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm when he appeared at Taunton Crown Court.

A Bruton man has been recognized in the New Year's Honours. John Bishton has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the preservation of historic buildings in Bruton.

NFU Mutual in Yeovil has made a donation of £6,000 to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. The money will go towards the two million pounds the air ambulance needs to raise every year to keep its helicopter flying.

Sherborne Golf Club has been given planning permission to extend its clubhouse. The club says the single-storey flat roof extension will allow it to provide a new function room and extend the patio area.

New homes for birds and bats have been provided at Yeovil Recreational Centre. Staff at the centre off Mudford Road have built bird and bat nesting boxes using recycled pallet boxes and positioned them around the site to encourage more birds and bats to nest in the area.

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Tuesday 22nd July

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Monday 21st July

A GoFundMe page set up to support families of last week’s Exmoor bus crash, in which a 10-year-old boy died, has raised over forty thousand pounds. A local councillor is calling for the introduction of speed cameras on the A30, from Yeovil to Sherborne. A group from a school in Ilchester have hiked 26 miles across the Jurassic Coast to fundraise in memory of a school colleague...and more
Friday 18th July

EDF has completed another milestone in constructing the new 'Hinkley C' nuclear power plant near Bridgwater. The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire opens today with helicopters built in Yeovil on display. A road leading to Chard reservoir, shut two months ago for strengthening work to a dam wall, has re-opened...and more
Thursday 17th July

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has serious concerns about plans that could see the closure of inpatient beds at Crewkerne Community Hospital. Ilminster residents are being asked to vote in a referendum on adopting a new neighbourhood plan for the town. An event in which people take part in a race against horses is returning to Somerset later this year...and more
Wednesday 16th July

A children’s play area in Ilminster has been closed on safety grounds after badger setts were found on the land. Somerset Council sold off £90m of property assets last year to help fight off bankruptcy. Crewkerne Community Hospital could be turned into a neighbourhood health centre...and more.
Tuesday 15th July

The fire service has blamed a discarded portable barbecue for starting a blaze at Ham Hill Country Park. A care home for people with autism and complex needs in Crewkerne has been rated 'good'. A seven-year-old Yeovil boy has set a new world record for completing the most number of consecutive sit-ups for his age group...and more
Monday 14th July

Somerset Council is warning motorists against scanning QR codes at its car parks payment meters. Chard Town Council is spending £10,000 on short-term youth provision over the summer months. Former Yeovil Town player Marcus Stewart says he wants to continue raising money towards finding a cure for motor neurone disease...and more.