News Friday 24th January

Friday, 24 January 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. The complex, to be sited on the southeast corner of the Bunford Business Park off Watercombe Lane, includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools, three outdoor tennis courts, gym and spa facilities, a children’s soft play area, and lounge facilities and terrace. Somerset Council has yet to say when the plans will go before the Somerset Planning Committee for a decision. The application is submitted on behalf of David Lloyd Leisure Ltd and the Abbey Manor Group Ltd, owners of the Bunford Business Park site. David Lloyd, the former professional tennis player, set up his Leisure business in 1982. Today, he operates 134 clubs across the UK and Europe, employing eight thousand staff.

Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. Cuts to the mental health carers assessment service follow a review, which Somerset Council claims will deliver best value. Mel Warburton looks after her daughter, who has several physical and mental health conditions. She’s unconvinced the changes will work better for carers like her.

A housing development in Keinton Mandeville could still go ahead after an appeal was lodged. Galion Homes put forward plans in 2021 to build 30 homes to the north of Church Street. Somerset Council’s Planning South Committee voted to refuse the application in December saying the houses were unwanted and would damage the character of the area. Now, the developer has appealed the decision, with the Planning Inspectorate expected to make a ruling on the application later in the year.

A new care home is set to open in March in Yeovil. Potter House on Highfield Road, part of Oyster Care Homes, offers en-suite rooms, bistro, garden room, hair salon, and cinema room.

People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Researcher, Dr Hannah Thompson-Radford, who’s leading the project, is asking for help filling in blanks on scorecards which only feature a player’s initials instead of their full name.

Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK, by the food magazine, SquareMeals. Osip in Bruton was singled out for making its dishes using local ingredients, while Holm in South Petherton was praised for its seasonal tasting menus.

More from News

Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more
Thursday 23rd January

Yeovil Town Council has defended its decision to increase its share of the Council Tax by an average of £80. A man who drove an e-scooter in Yeovil while disqualified from driving has been jailed for six weeks. According to new data, the Yeovil driving test centre is the 12th easiest in the UK to pass a driving test...and more
Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.
Tuesday 21st January

A Yeovil man, who drove while on drugs, injuring two children, has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence. Somerset cider maker, Thatchers, has won a trademark battle against Aldi. Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre is looking for more land for its animals...and more.
Monday 20th January

Somerset Council says a government review of adult social care could cause the Council to go bankrupt. A pilot scheme in Somerset aimed at cutting hospital admissions to A&E by the most vulnerable patients has shown a 50 per cent reduction in visits. Somerset celebrity chef Josh Eggleton is converting a double-decker bus to help promote healthier eating in schools...and more.