Monday 7th April

Monday, 7 April 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

There’s been a setback in building a new multi-million-pound electric car battery factory in Somerset. A new bus service has started running between Yeovil and Bristol. A new project has been launched to support people living with dementia in Somerset. Wetherspoon's in Yeovil reopens to customers tomorrow following a £1.6 million refurbishment...and more

A setback has been made in building a new multi-million-pound electric car battery factory in Somerset. Jaguar Land Rover, which is building the plant alongside the M5 at Puriton near Bridgwater, says that due to a slowdown in electric vehicle sales, the factory will now be built smaller than was originally planned. The opening date for production to start has been delayed by a year to 2027.

A new bus service has started running from Yeovil to Bristol. The 376 service stops in Street and runs to Bristol daily.

Wetherspoon's in Yeovil reopens to customers tomorrow following a £1.6 million refurbishment. The William Dampier pub, on the corner of Central Street and Middle Street, has been closed since January. Weatherspoon's says the upgrade, including a new beer garden, has created 35 full and part-time jobs.

Somerset Council has closed the public toilets opposite Tesco in Ilminster. The Council shut the toilets last week, saying they could no longer afford to keep them open. Ilminster Town Council has been asked to take over running the toilets and is due to discuss the issue at a meeting on April 15th.

The Managing Director of Leonardo in Yeovil, Nigel Coleman, says this is a good time to be in the defence sector. It comes after the company was awarded a £165m contract to service and repair Merlin Helicopters.

A new project has been launched to support people living with dementia in Somerset. Run by Froglife, it aims to get people with memory loss outdoors and be more active.

Four boys at Hazelgrove School at Sparkford are planning a cycling marathon in aid of the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Hambo Kane, Ed Hyland, Freddie Storey and Louis Plunkett, all aged under 12, plan to cycle the 125 miles from Cardinham in Cornwall to Sparkford over the May Bank Holiday weekend.

More from News

Friday 4th April

Yeovil Town's Interim Chairman, Stuart Robins, says the Club needs to find a new owner to provide financial stability over the longer term. Six people, including two from Chard, have been jailed for their involvement in a drugs supply network. Final preparations are being made for this weekend’s Ilminster 10k race...and more
Thursday 3rd April

Two-thirds of employers in Somerset say the hike in employers' National Insurance will mean cutting staff. Police are investigating incidents of repeated damage at Somerton recreation ground. A man has been arrested in Chard on suspicion of indecent exposure. The story of the Monmouth Rebellion is being told in a new exhibition...and more
Wednesday 2nd April

Leonardo Helicopters has won a £165 million repair and maintenance contract that will secure 200 jobs at the Yeovil factory. Police are searching for a thief who stole a safe containing £1500 in cash from a pub in Ilminster. Alzheimer's UK says the number of people with dementia in Somerset is massively under-recorded... and more.
Tuesday 1st April

Police are investigating the cause of a suspicious fire at the former Oscar Mayer site in Chard. Yeovil Town owner, Martin Hellier, has stepped down as club chairman. According to the website, Property Solvers, Martock has the slowest housing market in Somerset. A new Head Teacher has been appointed to run Sexeys School in Bruton...and more
Monday 31st March

Yeovil Town owner Martin Hellier has announced his intention to put the club up for sale. Somerset Chamber of Commerce says small businesses are bracing themselves for a challenging year. The Children's Hospice South West founder, Eddie Farwell, has died. Tintinhull Gardens near Yeovil have reopened for the new season...and more
Friday 28th March

First Bus has invested £12 million in buying 26 electric buses to run on routes in Somerset. Approval has been given to build 18 new homes in South Petherton. Somerset’s recycling sites, including Yeovil, will revert to their spring opening times next week. This year’s Somerset Drama Festival has been won by Ilminster Entertainments Society...and more.
Thursday 27th March

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised the Chancellor for not reforming business rates in her Spring Statement. Fifteen schools in Somerset are to be equipped with new facilities for children with special educational needs. A charity in Yeovil is appealing for donations of new underwear to give to people who are homeless...and more
Wednesday 26th March

The remains of a Roman settlement have been discovered near Langport. Chard Town Council has issued a formal apology over some of its recent conduct. Visitors to Ham Hill Country Park are being asked to tread carefully and keep pets on leads to protect breeding skylarks nesting at ground-level...and more