Wednesday 15th April

Wednesday, 15 April 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil College has been upgraded to a Defence Technical Excellence College. Somerset Council is taking legal action against a housing developer that owes £35,000 in contributions towards local services in Broadway. An Ilminster couple have covered the first 400 miles of their epic walk around the coastline of mainland Britain... and more

Yeovil College has been upgraded to a Defence Technical Excellence College. The government has announced £175 million of investment for technical training at nineteen colleges, including Yeovil, where apprentices from Leonardo already undergo training.

Somerset Council is taking legal action against a housing developer that owes £35,000 in contributions towards local services in Ilminster. Higdon Homes Ltd secured planning permission to build 16 homes on St James Close in Broadway in 2016. As part of the permission, the developer was required to contribute towards facilities within the village, including the village hall and the pitch at Broadway Cricket Club. Somerset Council says the £34,982 that Higdon Homes Ltd promised to pay is still owed.

Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke says rising house prices, high rents and a lack of homes in Somerset have led to people living in vans in her constituency. The government says it is committed to building one and a half million new homes during the lifetime of this Parliament. But speaking in the Commons, Sarah Dyke said that for many people, buying or renting a home is unaffordable.

An Ilminster couple have covered the first 400 miles of their epic walk around the coastline of mainland Britain. Mike and Zoe Langley-Wathen are taking on the One Coast Any Age challenge, walking 7,300 miles around the British coastline for Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. So far, the couple, who are both in their 70s, have covered 435 miles along the Sussex coast, raising £4,000 towards their target of £10,000.

Members of a local production of Calendar Girls have stripped off for a real-life photoshoot to help promote the show. Glastonbury and Street Musical Comedy Society are performing the musical at Strode Theatre in Street next week, with money raised going to Blood Cancer UK.

More from News

Monday 18th May

The RSPCA is investigating after eleven newborn puppies were abandoned in Snowdon Park in Chard. Major funding has been announced for a new two-year arts programme in Yeovil. Plans have been unveiled to improve sports facilities at Somerton Recreation Ground...and more
Friday 15th May

A fire that damaged two vehicles in Chaffcombe near Chard is being treated as deliberate. A road in Hardington Mandeville is set to re-open today after being closed for three days. Friends, family and colleagues of a Royal Navy officer based at RNAS Yeovilton are taking on a 630-mile coastal challenge in her memory... and more
Thursday 14th May

Somerset Council has defended spending nineteen million pounds on consultants over the past three years. A new clinic specialising in sexual health has opened in Yeovil. RNAS Yeovilton has been in the TV spotlight this week after featuring on Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr...and more
Wednesday 13th May

Concern's been expressed that too many of the 580 new council homes being built in Somerset will be clustered around Taunton and Bridgwater. Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman died following a crash on the M5. Haynes Motor Museum has been awarded £180,000 by The National Lottery to transform its Red Room gallery... and more
Tuesday 12th May

A member of Yeovil Town Council has appeared in court charged with two counts of assault. Health professionals in Somerset are urging people to take up the offer of a free NHS health check. Organisers of Somerset Day have welcomed the name Dunkery given to the dragon on the county flag...and more
Monday 11th May

New figures show a sharp increase in reports of drones interfering with critical air ambulance missions. The Liberal Democrats have retained the Mendip Hills seat on Somerset Council following a by-election. A woman from Chard has been recognised for her contribution to the community with an invitation to the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace... and more
Friday 8th May

Police investigating a fire in Shepton Mallet are appealing for help to identify two people. Yeovil MP Adam Dance has called for more government support for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. This weekend sees the start of the Great Gardening Show at The Newt near Bruton...and more
Thursday 7th May

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