Political leaders in Somerset have spoken out against the unrest and disorder seen elsewhere in the country. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is demanding a review of the decision to close the Hyper-acute Stroke Unit at Yeovil Hospital. A fire in Stoford is being treated as arson...and more.
Political leaders in Somerset have spoken out against the unrest and disorder seen elsewhere in the country. In a statement, they say Somerset prides itself on inclusivity, respect, and a shared sense of community, where every individual is valued and respected, regardless of background or ethnicity. They call on all residents not to be swayed by the actions of those who seek to spread division.
Yeovil MP Adam Dance is demanding a review of the decision to close the Hyper-acute Stroke Unit at Yeovil Hospital. The unit is due to shut in about two years with acute stroke patients taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. NHS Somerset’s Integrated Care Board voted to close Yeovil’s acute stroke unit, despite a high-profile public campaign to keep it open.
The go-ahead has been given to build seventy new homes in Merriott. The properties will be built on the Scotts Nurseries site on Higher Street, a short distance from the A356 that links Merriott to Crewkerne and the A303. Twenty-four of the homes will be affordable. The development will provide £896,000 towards new classrooms at Merriott School and Wadham School, along with £29,000 to improve the West One Surgery and Crewkerne Health Centre.
A fire in Stoford is being treated as arson. It happened at a property near Newton Road with appliances from Yeovil and Somerton in attendance. 220 bales of hay were destroyed, together with gardening and scaffolding equipment.
Green Flags have been given to Ham Hill near Yeovil and Ninesprings Country Park in Yeovil. Green Flag accreditation recognises the work done by rangers, volunteers and friends groups in caring for the sites.
A formal planning application has been made to carry out significant improvements to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre, costing £15 million. The Halifax Bank in King George Street in Yeovil could be converted into 17 flats. A new young people’s centre opens in Chard early in the New Year...and more.
NHS Somerset reports a strong uptake of flu jabs, but some eligible people for free vaccinations haven’t come forward. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 in which a pedestrian was killed. A Crewkerne woman has gone viral on TikTok after being trapped inside a Lidl store in the town... and more.
Somerset Bus Partnership has welcomed a £24.7m boost for the county's bus services. Outline planning permission has been granted to build up to 100 new homes in Ilminster. An Ilminster man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years. Residents in Chiselborough have set up a group to try and re-open the village pub...and more.
Crewkerne Community Hospital is to lose half its inpatient beds. A review will be conducted of a project to make Bridgwater more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. Chard Methodist Church is offering residents a free lunch on Christmas Day. Yeovil-based Screwfix is opening a new outlet in Minehead...and more.
Yeovil MP Adam Dance has warned that delays in ordering 30 new medium lift helicopters for the RAF is putting the future of Somerset’s defence industries at risk. Somerset's farmers are being urged to convert more cow manure into biogas to heat homes. A new visitor centre has opened at Ham Hill country park...and more
Parcel business, Evri, has been criticised by Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke over what she claims have been ‘widespread delivery failures’. Demand for mental health support provided by South Western Ambulance Service is running at record levels. A nine-year-old Somerset boy has completed 100 days of litter picking for charity...and more
New data shows that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area is at an all-time high. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard has issued a warning to prospective pet owners ahead of Christmas. The owner of four pubs in Somerset has warned that many could be forced to shut unless the government reconsiders business rates...and more.
Toolstream in Yeovil has been put into administration, threatening the jobs of dozens of employees. NHS Somerset has issued a last chance call for people to get a flu jab after hospital admissions increased by 76% in a week. Police are investigating the theft of a bike valued at £7,000 in Sherborne... and more
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