Thursday 7th May

Thursday, 7 May 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A disabled man has taken his case to the High Court, arguing that Somerset Council’s council tax reduction scheme is discriminatory. Bristol Airport says travellers planning summer holidays should not change their plans. Chard and Ilminster Amateur Boxing Club has launched a fundraising appeal,..and more

A disabled man has taken his case to the High Court, arguing that Somerset Council’s council tax reduction scheme is discriminatory. Andy Mitchell, from Taunton, previously paid no council tax while receiving disability benefits. However, this year he’s been asked to pay 90 percent of his bill, an annual charge of nearly £1,300. Somerset Council says a review of the scheme is now underway to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Voting is taking place across the UK today, in the biggest set of elections since Labour came to power in the 2024 General Election. However, in Somerset, apart from a by-election in Mendip, residents will have to wait until next year to vote. That’s because the current Somerset Council was only established in April 2023, with elections held every four years.

Bristol Airport says travellers planning summer holidays should not change their plans, despite concerns about a jet fuel shortage. While the price of jet fuel has risen by 120 percent, the airport insists neither it nor airlines are experiencing any supply issues.

Chard and Ilminster Amateur Boxing Club has launched a fundraising appeal, warning it faces an uncertain future due to rising costs. The club says it urgently needs financial support. So far, it has raised £1,000 in sponsorship and will hold a fundraising tyre flip event on Saturday, May 9th.

A road in Hardington Mandeville will be closed for three days next week. Pig Hill will shut from Wednesday, May 13th to Friday, May 15th, to allow Wessex Water to carry out essential works.

And finally, a 1961 Aston Martin DB4, originally donated by the late John Haynes, has been put back on display at the Haynes Motor Museum in Somerset after a full restoration.

More from News

Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more