Wednesday 5th March

Wednesday, 5 March 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. A Somerset charity says it needs more volunteers to help with research into new treatments for dementia. A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm...and more.

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out to buy investment properties by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. The government has given Somerset Council permission to sell properties it owns and use the money to fund services like adult social care but says the original loans, totalling £300 million, have to be paid back, with interest.

A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm at council-run car parks across Somerset. Apart from not charging for overnight parking, the Council has also decided to continue providing free on-street parking in town centres. Shop owner, Susie Thomas, who along with thousands of others signed a petition opposing the charges, says it's good that the Council has listened.

A Somerset-based charity says it needs volunteers to help it with the search for new treatments for dementia. ReMind UK is running clinical trials and academic studies. It says it needs people, with or without dementia, to sign up to trials.

No trains will be running between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary next week. This will allow Network Rail to complete improvements to the Heart of Wessex Line, including repairs to signalling at Yeovil Pen Mill station and removing diseased trees along the line. A rail replacement bus service will be operating between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary, Monday to Friday next week, during the shutdown.

In cricket, Somerset all-rounder, Ben Green will join Leicestershire on loan for their opening seven County Championship matches. The 27-year-old will return to Somerset in time for the Vitality Blast clash against Surrey on May 30th.

More from News

Thursday 6th March

Somerset Council has approved a seven-and-a-half percent increase in council tax. People are being asked to return boxes of paracetamol bought from Boots Chemists in Somerset. It’s been revealed that five members of staff at Somerset Council are being allowed to work from home outside the UK...and more
Tuesday 4th March

The population of Somerset has reached record levels with nearly one in ten born outside the UK. Stanchester School in Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’. Experts have been called in to appraise a 15th-century piece of artwork in Sherborne...and more.
Monday 3rd March

A woman from Crewkerne has been fined £280 for assaulting two emergency workers. Plans have been announced to open new NHS dental surgeries in Chard and Crewkerne. A Yeovil man has been thanked for raising £10,000 for the cardiac charity Heartbeat...and more
Friday 28th February

A local man has been charged after allegedly driving a tractor while under the influence of alcohol. One hundred bikes, collected with household waste in Somerset, have been donated to charity. The junction of the A37 Ilchester Road and Stiby Road in Yeovil will again shut this evening for resurfacing...and more.
Thursday 27th February

Fourteen hundred people have added their names to a petition against Somerset Council's plans to scrap free car parks. St Margaret’s Hospice has won a share of £25 million of government funding. A man from Charlton Adam is preparing to visit Ukraine as an Aid Worker for a tenth time...and more
Wednesday 26th February

A local man has been charged with possessing an air weapon following an incident in Yeovil town centre. The Labour government has removed funding to the Amulet Theatre in Shepton Mallet that the previous Conservative government had allocated. Entries are now open for this year’s Minster Miles 10K fun run with organisers aiming to exceed last year’s number of runners...and more.
Tuesday 25th February

A new report says Avon and Somerset Police is struggling to cope with a big increase in cases involving the abuse of sexual images of children. Three primary schools in our area have been chosen to take part in a pilot of the Government’s free breakfast clubs for pupils scheme. A new TV documentary has captured footage of 50,000 starlings in a group gathering over the Somerset Levels...and more
Monday 24th February

The Leonardo Group, which owns the Leonardo Helicopter factory in Yeovil, has announced strong full-year results for 2024. A new bus station could be built in Langport. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident in which a dog was fatally injured in Yeovil...and more