Tuesday 6th August

Tuesday, 6 August 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Drivers are being warned not to scan QR codes when paying to park at Somerset Council-run car parks or risk being scammed. Two men from Yeovil were amongst those arrested at an anti-immigration protest held in Weymouth at the weekend. A new extension to Caryford Community Hall in Ansford has been formally opened...and more.

Drivers are being warned not to scan QR codes when paying to park at Somerset Council-run car parks. It follows the discovery of fake stickers with QR codes stuck to ticket machines in an attempt to scam motorists.

Two men from Yeovil were amongst those arrested at an anti-immigration protest in Weymouth at the weekend. Police say a 42-year-old man from Yeovil was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence, and a 62-year-old man, also from Yeovil, for being drunk and disorderly. The arrests followed disturbances involving anti-immigration protesters and Stand Up to Racism demonstrators on the seafront in Weymouth on Sunday.

Glastonbury and Somerton MP, Sarah Dyke, has called for a proposal to build a new railway station in the Somerton and Langport area to be protected from government cutbacks. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced that she’s scrapping a £500m fund, launched under Boris Johnson's premiership in 2020, to re-open stations in areas closed under the Beeching cuts of the mid-1960s. Sarah Dyke says a station in the Somerton and Langport area would give access to mainline rail services for 50,000 local people, adding that the line between Taunton and Castle Cary is the longest stretch between London and Cornwall that doesn’t have a train station.

A new extension to Caryford Community Hall in Ansford has been formally opened. The extension includes a meeting room for up to sixty people and a smaller meeting room for twelve people, together with storage space and a new ladies’ toilet. The extension has cost £600k with the bulk of the money provided by the National Lottery, Castle Cary Town Council, Ansford Parish Council, and Somerset Council.

Taunton’s Gateway Park and Ride site will shut for a short time tomorrow. The closure between 1.30 and 2.30 pm is to allow for a replacement barrier to be installed. Anyone needing access to the Gateway Park and Ride during this time for hospital appointments should use the Silk Mills Park and Ride.

More from News

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.
Friday 10th July

A Yeovil woman has shared how she is still on the waiting list for a transplant, a year on. A Crewkerne community group saved two tonnes of food from landfill last month and gave it to residents in need. Yeovil Town have announced their fixture list for the 2025/26 season....and more.
Thursday 10th July

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow heat health alert for the South West. A former Cherry Farm in Chard has donated its netting and high-tensile wire to Somerset Aid for Ukraine. Somerset Council is moving forward with its next phase of plans for the county...and more.
Wednesday 9th July

Demolition work at Yeovil’s Glovers Walk has been held up after two colonies of bees were discovered. Refurbishment of the town’s Dunelm store is underway. A teenager from Crewkerne has represented his country, winning a gold medal in a national boxing competition... and more.