Wednesday 13th March

Wednesday, 13 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The UK's biggest electric car battery factory being built near Bridgwater needs £150 million of investment in related projects, according to Somerset Council. A Somerset mother whose daughter died after being hit by a speeding car is backing a new road safety campaign. An event is being held this weekend to celebrate the centenary of Chard-born Margaret Bondfield being appointed the first female minister in a British government...and more

The UK's biggest electric car battery factory being built near Bridgwater needs £150 million of investment in related projects, according to Somerset Council. The owners of Jaguar Land Rover are building the £4 billion plant on the former Royal Ordnance Factory site at Puriton. Somerset Council says it needs the money to pay for things like skills training and cycle paths to get to the site.

A Somerset mother whose daughter died after being hit by a speeding car is backing a new road safety campaign after last year saw the highest number of deaths on Somerset’s roads in ten years. According to figures from Avon and Somerset Police, thirty people died in road crashes here in 2023 that's a 43% increase from 2022. Excessive speeding, not wearing a seatbelt or drink or drug driving are all highlighted as key factors in serious or fatal collisions.

Great Western Railway says parking will be temporarily reduced at Castle Cary train station for seventeen days starting next Friday. Access to the new car park off Station Road will be shut and some parking bays in the main car park closed off. GWR says it allows for various improvement projects to be completed.

Work upgrading gas pipes starts next week in Somerton. Wales and West Utilities are warning of major disruption in West Street from Wednesday onwards. Barring any engineering difficulties, the work is due to be finished sometime in April.

The Prince of Wales pub at Ham Hill near Yeovil is to feature in a new TV show called Perfect Pub Walks to be shown on More-Four. The programme, introduced by Strictly Come Dancing winner, Bill Bailey, was filmed last summer and includes an interview with Prince of Wales owner, Mike Holroyd, talking about the pub’s history and that of Ham Hill.

Chard Museum is holding an event to celebrate the centenary of Margaret Bondfield being appointed the first female government minister. Margaret Bondfield was born in Chard in 1873 and attended the High Street School in the town. She left Chard aged 14, and went on to be elected a Labour MP and then appointed as the first female government minister in 1924. Chard Museum will celebrate the life of Margaret Bondfield with an event outside Chard Guildhall this coming Saturday.

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Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.
Thursday 17th April

The father of a one-month-old baby boy in Chard is to stand trial for the murder of his son. New figures show that just under 1300 crimes were reported to the Police in Yeovil during the final quarter of last year. A night in a prison cell is offered at Shepton Mallet Jail to those who want to be alone this Easter...and more.
Wednesday 16th April

Big changes are being made to where taxi ranks in Yeovil are located. Farmers are being told to keep an extra lookout for people acting suspiciously following the latest livestock theft near the Devon and Somerset border. Channel 4’s Location Location Location is coming to Somerset, with anyone looking to buy a property locally invited to apply to be in the show...and more
Tuesday 15th April

A 36-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of a sexual assault in Yeovil. Yeovil Labour Club has had its drinks licence revoked. NHS Somerset has been taking its physiotherapy team around the county to cut waiting times for patients. A men-only cooking course has been launched in Sherborne with all ingredients and equipment provided free of charge...and more
Monday 14th April

A new banking hub has opened in Crewkerne. South Western Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency over the Easter weekend. £1.8 million is being spent improving walking and cycling routes around a major new housing development at Up Mudford in Yeovil...and more