Wednesday 6th March

Wednesday, 6 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Forty new homes will be built in South Petherton despite strong local objections. Four people have been charged as part of an investigation into a drugs line between Somerset and Manchester. A Yeovil primary school has won a national nature award for the second year running...and more.

The go ahead has been given to build forty new homes in South Petherton despite strong local objections. The development off Silver Lane will include fourteen ‘affordable’ homes. Local people claimed the site was not suitable for building and would create a dangerous junction at Hospital Lane. The application was approved by members of Somerset Council’s South Planning Committee by just one vote.

Four people have been charged as part of an investigation into a drugs line between Somerset and Manchester in a joint operation between Avon and Somerset and Greater Manchester police. Appearing at Taunton Magistrates’ Court, the three adults and teenager were charged with two counts of being concerned in the supply of class A drugs. A full hearing against all four will be heard at Taunton Crown Court on Friday, March 29th.

The Acting Dean of Wells Cathedral has been justifying their decision to start charging visitors an entry fee to the cathedral. The Venerable Anne Gell was speaking about the fourteen-pound charge being introduced in April. She says the money is essential to help maintain the building which costs around four thousand pounds every day to run.

The production company behind the TV show Junior Bake Off says it's looking for applicants from Somerset for the next series. Love Productions, which is also behind the main Great British Bake Off, says it would like to hear from boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 12 who have a love of baking. Applications can be filled out online and the deadline is Sunday 17th March.

A Yeovil primary school has won a national nature award for the second year running. Tintinhull Primary is one of twenty-five schools in England to be given the ‘Let’s Go Zero Award’ by the Ovo Foundation. It includes a £200 prize, which will be invested into transforming a section of the school grounds into a wildflower meadow.

More from News

Friday 14th November

Yeovil Hospital has introduced a new system for handling patients at its A&E department aimed at cutting waiting times. It’s claimed that an Iron Age settlement preserved under Somerset's wetlands for 2,000 years is facing erosion due to climate change. Montacute Road in Tintinhull will be closed for five days next week for repairs to a gas main.
Thursday 13th November

Workers at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil are taking part in a second day of strike action in their dispute over pay. Lloyds Bank has closed its branch in Chard permanently. A week-long programme of tree planting will be held at Ham Hill later this month to mark National Tree Week...and more
Wednesday 12th November

Workers belonging to the Unite union at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil begin a two-day strike today. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, has been speaking in a parliamentary debate on improving dyslexia support in schools. South Western Ambulance Service is inviting applications for positions on its governing council...and more
Tuesday 11th November

Somerset residents are being urged to get a flu jab as cases of flu continue to rise. Seven horse saddles have been stolen in a break-in at a riding school in Queen Camel. Donations of children’s toys are needed for this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal...and more
Monday 10th November

It’s claimed Somerset Council has lost nearly £5 million selling the Marks and Spencer building in Yeovil. A car has been set on fire in a suspected arson attack in Shepton Mallet. A Crewkerne man says night-time noise from the town's Waitrose store is causing him and his family "sleep disturbance" ... and more.
Friday 7th November

A man from Yeovil has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of three counts of rape. Smoking rates in Somerset remain higher than in many other parts of the UK. Students at three schools in Yeovil have created a new shoe design for Clarks.
Thursday 6th November

The Supreme Court has ruled that building thousands of homes in Somerset has been "unlawfully held up". The Head of Holyrood Academy in Chard has described the building of a new primary school in the town as an ‘incredible opportunity’. A pub near Chard has been named one of the best in Britain by The Good Food Guide...and more
Wednesday 5th November

Members of the Unite union at Leonardo in Yeovil have called off a planned strike for today. South Western Railway says trains on the West of England Line will start running normally again at the end of the month. A memorial post box has been placed at the entrance to Crewkerne cemetery...and more.