Wednesday 18th December

Wednesday, 18 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Unite union says it is becoming ‘increasingly anxious’ about a delay in awarding Leonardo in Yeovil a multi-million-pound contract to build a new medium-lift helicopter for the RAF. The government has set Somerset a target to build 3,700 new homes next year. A boxing glove once worn by Muhammad Ali is being auctioned in Chard today...and more

The Unite union says it is becoming ‘increasingly anxious’ over the time the government is taking to award Leonardo in Yeovil a multi-million-pound contract to build a new medium-lift helicopter for the RAF. It follows a meeting between Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, and defence secretary, John Healey, at which Unite, asked for the government's assurance that it will commit to purchase UK-produced defence equipment. The MOD has confirmed that Leonardo in Yeovil is now the sole bidder for the new medium-lift helicopter contract.

The government has set Somerset a target to build 3,700 new homes next year. In the whole South West, the target is to build 39,992 which is 11 percent of all homes to be built in England in 2025. The targets are set by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, as part of a government aim to build one and a half million new homes by 2029.

A boxing glove worn by Muhammad Ali is being auctioned in Chard today. The left-hand glove, made by Baily’s of Glastonbury, was worn by Ali or Cassius Clay as he was known when he fought Henry Cooper in June 1963 and is signed by Henry Cooper. It’s being sold together with a letter hand-written by the late Richard Mayers, managing director of Baily’s, stating the glove is genuine. The auction at Chard Auctioneers gets underway at 3 pm today, with a starting bid of half a million pounds.

A pothole between Glastonbury and Shepton Mallet is continuing to cause hundreds of pounds worth of damage to vehicles. The hole, dubbed the 'Pilton Pothole' has been reported as a danger to Somerset Council but has still not been filled in.

Children at Herne View Primary School in Ilminster have raised £200 in support of the Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Appeal. They were joined by Christmas jumper-wearing pupils at the Apple Orchard Pre-School in raising the money.

More from News

Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more
News Friday 24th January

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more
Thursday 23rd January

Yeovil Town Council has defended its decision to increase its share of the Council Tax by an average of £80. A man who drove an e-scooter in Yeovil while disqualified from driving has been jailed for six weeks. According to new data, the Yeovil driving test centre is the 12th easiest in the UK to pass a driving test...and more
Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.