Tuesday 26th March

Tuesday, 26 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

More than two hundred and fifty new homes are to be built on the northern edge of Yeovil following a successful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. The Shindig Music Festival, held on the Dillington Estate near Ilminster, has announced that this year's event will be their last. A hip replacement procedure at Yeovil Hospital, that can be done without patients needing an overnight hospital stay, has won a top award...and more.

More than two hundred and fifty new homes are to be built on the northern edge of Yeovil following a successful appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. Developers, Yeovil LVA put forward outline plans in April 2022 to build the homes on the northern side of the A359 Mudford Road. The developer lodged an appeal in October 2023 on the grounds of non-determination, arguing that Somerset Council and its predecessor, South Somerset District Council had taken too long to make a decision. Following a public inquiry in January this year, the Planning Inspectorate has ruled in the developer's favour, with more detailed proposals expected later in the year.

A Somerset wildlife charity is highlighting the risk that litter poses to wildlife after a fox was found dead with a crisp packet stuck on its head. Secret World Wildlife Rescue was called out to help the animal but their intervention came too late.

The Shindig Music Festival, held on the Dillington Estate near Ilminster, has announced that this year's event will be their last. Organisers say the challenging landscape of the events industry and a lack of government support, have made it increasingly difficult for independent festivals to operate. This year, the Shindig Festival will celebrate its 10th birthday when it takes place at the end of May.

Purple chairs are being installed in libraries across Somerset to provide a safe space for women and girls to get information about health and wellbeing. They can be found in seven libraries, including Chard and Yeovil. There will also be support and resources available on issues such as breast cancer, cervical screening and domestic abuse.

A Yeovil man was among three people arrested following an alleged assault in Wimborne. Dorset Police say it resulted in another man sustaining a broken jaw and needing hospital treatment. Following an appeal for witnesses, Police arrested three people, including an eighteen-year-old from Yeovil and two other men who live in the Blandford area. All three have been released under investigation, as enquiries continue.

A hip replacement procedure at Yeovil Hospital, that can be done without patients needing an overnight hospital stay, has won a top award. The procedure involves patients being assessed, operated on, and discharged from hospital on the same day. The procedure took home first prize in the ‘Best Elective Care Recovery Initiative’ category at the national HSJ Partnership Awards held in London.

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Wednesday 15th May

Somerset Council seeking to save £40 million by cutting one thousand jobs says 201 employees have so far applied to leave the authority based on voluntary redundancy. East Somerset Railway near Shepton Mallet has been used for filming the TV adaptation of Jilly Cooper's novel Rivals. An old-style red phone box in Castle Cary is being turned into Somerset's smallest museum...and more
Tuesday 14th May

Somerset's Chief Medical Officer says GP surgeries using healthcare professionals alongside doctors to provide treatments has freed up GP appointments. A farmer has been fined £15,000 for polluting a household water supply. Avon and Somerset’s new Police and Crime Commissioner has officially started work in the role. Chard Post Office is closed today for the handover of the business to new owners...and more.
Monday 13th May

Health inspectors have criticised Somerset's maternity services, including those at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council says re-opening Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in its original form could cost up to £200,000 if a multi-million-pound upgrade of the building falls through. A film made by a Yeovil man on a budget of just five thousand pounds was screened at the prestigious British Independent Film Festival...and more.
Friday 10th May

The Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard says it needs an immediate injection of £100,000 to keep going. Yeovil’s Marlie Packer has returned to Yeovil Rugby Club where she began her rugby career 20 years ago. Twenty-five Town criers from across the South will be in Ilminster tomorrow competing in the annual Ilminster Town Criers' Competition...and more.
Thursday 9th May

Train services through Somerset are again being disrupted today due to continued strike action by the train driver’s union ALSEF. A campaign has been launched in Somerset aimed at stopping people overdosing on opioids. A Somerset business is raising a smile with its name.‘Top Of The Clops’, a tack shop near Taunton has won a place in the top ten of the UK’s funniest business names...and more.
Wednesday 8th May

A woman driver has been told she faces a prison term for causing the deaths of two people in a crash on the A303. The AA says there are more potholes than ever on Somerset’s motorway network, leading to an increase in damage to vehicles. The new cancer treatment unit at Yeovil Hospital should be open before the end of the year...and more.
Tuesday 7th May

Somerset Council has decided against selling the former Wilko store in Lower Middle Street in Yeovil. There’s a treat for snooker fans with Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor coming to Yeovil. An Air Engineering Commander at RNAS Yeovilton is taking on the Jurassic Coast 100km Ultra Challenge for charity...and more
Friday 3rd May

Labour’s Clare Moody is the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. Somerset Council is looking to buy the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil, including Yeovil Bus Station. One of the biggest events in Yeovil’s outdoor calendar, the Abbey Hill Steam Rally, starts today...and more.