Friday 17th November

Friday, 17 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is calling on the government to take urgent action to fix the funding crisis in social care. Business activity across the South West stabilised in October, according to a new report from NatWest. The go-ahead has been given to build 35 new homes at Broadway, near Ilminster...and more.

The Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans is calling on the government to take urgent action to fix the funding crisis in social care. He’s written to the Levelling-up Secretary, Michael Gove, saying the current funding formula for local government does not reflect the actual costs involved in providing essential public services, in particular, social care. Earlier this month, Somerset Council, who are facing a funding gap of £100m in the next financial year, declared a financial emergency and plan to make big spending cuts to help balance the books. In his letter to the government, Councillor Revans says the Council’s overspend is not because of poor controls, but the increased costs of delivering essential services.

Age UK says people in Somerset need to be better prepared for the new digital landline rollout. The UK phone network is going digital by 2025 with landline phones working via a broadband connection, instead of analogue.

The Environment Agency says it is working ‘around the clock’ to minimise the flood risk with more rain forecast over the weekend. The EA is working with Somerset Rivers Authority and Somerset Council to manage the situation, with extra pumps brought into use on the Somerset Levels.

Business activity across the South West stabilised in October, according to the latest Business Activity report from NatWest. The Bank says the trend breaks four months of regional decline and contrasts with a dip in economic performance across the UK as a whole. The Business Activity Index, which measures month-on-month change in output for manufacturing and the service sector, reported stability in October at 50.1 per cent, compared to 47.8 per cent in September.

The go-ahead has been given to build 35 new homes at Broadway, near Ilminster. The scheme, on the north-western edge of the village, is less than one mile from the proposed Ding Meadow development, where 28 new homes are planned behind the Bell Inn. The properties are expected to range from two to four bedrooms in size, with 12 being affordable and five as bungalows.

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Thursday 18th December

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Wednesday 17th December

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Tuesday 14th December

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Monday 15th December

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Friday 12th December

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Thursday 11th December

A man has appeared in court in connection with an attack in Wincanton. A member of Somerset Council, jailed for 26 months for taking part in a Just Stop Oil protest, may not have to stand down as a councillor. NHS Somerset has announced that changes to stroke services at Yeovil Hospital will "go live" in the spring of next year...and more
Wednesday 10th December

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