Somerset Council has scrapped offering free parking at its car parks this Christmas. An announcement about the future of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre is expected early in the New Year. Yeovil residents claim it is taking up to two weeks for their post to be delivered with important letters like hospital appointments arriving too late...and more.
Somerset Council has scrapped offering free parking at its car parks this Christmas. Previously, on certain days in December in the run-up to Christmas, council-owned car parks have been free to encourage shoppers into the town centre. This year, Somerset Council says the scheme, costing around £50,000 in lost revenues, is no longer affordable. Meanwhile, Somerset Council has launched a consultation asking people for suggestions on how it could cut tens of millions of pounds from its spending. It follows the Council announcing a financial emergency and needing to cut 87 million pounds from next year’s budget or risk bankruptcy.
People in Yeovil claim it’s taking up to two weeks for their post to be delivered with important letters like hospital appointments arriving too late. Some have started collecting their mail from the main sorting office in Huish. Royal Mail says it's working hard to ensure a reliable service in the run-up to Christmas, but the union representing Somerset's Royal Mail workers is blaming staff shortages for the delays.
An announcement about the future of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre is expected early in the New Year. Plans to re-build the Octagon at a cost of 32 million pounds have been delayed due to Somerset Council needing to make big savings next year. The Council’s opposition Conservative Leader, David Fothergill, has suggested that money raised through the Council selling a battery storage business could be used to fund the Octagon project.
Ilminster Arts Centre has announced the winners of its annual Children's Christmas Card Competition. The winners’ names can be viewed on the Ilminster Arts Centre website, with copies of their cards now on sale at the Arts Centre.
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.
Bruton Primary School is the latest to have a barrier installed outside the school to stop parents parking when dropping off and picking up children. A man has appeared in court charged with being drunk and disorderly at Yeovil Hospital. A veteran of World War Two in Castle Cary has been awarded France’s highest military and civil distinction...and more
A Chard woman has appeared in court after driving her car towards a crowd of people who, she claimed, were causing a disturbance. Crewkerne residents will soon be provided with a new banking hub. Work has started removing 14 trees along the embankment of Chard Reservoir...and more
A Yeovil man has been arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child. A Community Fridge in Shepton Mallet says it saved ten tonnes of unwanted food from going to landfill in the run-up to Christmas. Somerset Council has started collecting empty toothpaste tubes for recycling at the kerbside for the first time...and more
Police are appealing for witnesses after two people died in a car crash near Shepton Mallet. A new passing loop could be introduced on the rail line between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill stations. St Margaret’s Hospice has thanked the public for making this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling project their most successful ever...and more
Plans to build forty-six new homes in Castle Cary have been rejected for a third time. Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has no plans to step down from his dual role as a member of Somerset Council. Rug Ratz in Yeovil is closing permanently today, leaving the town without a children's soft play space...and more.
Yeovil Hospital has declared a critical incident due to a sharp rise in flu admissions putting pressure on bed spaces. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, joined campaigners and colleagues in Downing Street this week to hand in a petition calling for action to tackle the shortage of NHS dentists. Yeovil's Marlie Packer has been replaced as England's Red Roses captain for 2025 season... and more
Police say three children, missing from their home in Essex, have been found safe and well in Wincanton. Yeovil Hospital is asking visitors to A&E to wear facemasks to help avoid the spread of infection. Long traffic queues can be expected in Chard over the next nine months. A new arts and music performance space has opened in Crewkerne...and more.
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