Friday 18th October

Friday, 18 October 2024 07:34

By Steve Haigh

According to new government figures, Sixty-four thousand children in Somerset were not seen by an NHS dentist last year. Two by-elections will be held for seats on Somerset Council at the end of November. Supported employment schemes in Somerset say they’re seeing a good proportion of their students, who are disabled, going into paid work...and more.

According to new government figures, Sixty-four thousand children in Somerset were not seen by an NHS dentist last year. John Watt an NHS dentist in Somerset says that so many children not having their teeth regularly looked at will impact on other parts of the NHS.

Two by-elections will be held for seats on Somerset Council at the end of November. It follows the resignations of Councillors, Dixie Darch and Sarah Dyke as Liberal Democrat members for Rowbarton and Staplegrove and Blackmoor Vale respectively. Until the by-elections take place, all casework will be handled by the other division members for each area, with Councillor Derek Perry handling matters in Rowbarton and Staplegrove, and Councillor Nicola Clark handling Blackmoor Vale. Following the resignations, the composition of Somerset Council is Liberal Democrats 59, Conservative 33, Green Party 5, Labour 5, and Independent 6, with 2 seats vacant.

Supported employment schemes in Somerset say they’re seeing a good proportion of their students, who are disabled, going into paid work. It follows a House of Lords report calling for more to be done to help young disabled people get back into the workplace.

Somerset Council has signed an expression of interest in working more closely with Dorset and Wiltshire councils. The government is seeking the views of all three councils on finding common ground where they can collaborate on things like planning and transport. Last month, the councils submitted a request for devolution, calling themselves the "Heart of Wessex" but stressed this would not be a merger of the councils.

Organisers of the Yeovil Literary Festival say this year’s event will be their biggest ever. A number of pre-festival presentations take place today at Yeovil Library with the festival proper starting next Thursday.

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Friday 7th March

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more
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
Wednesday 5th March

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.
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.