Local News Monday 13th February

Monday, 13 February 2023 06:00

The Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil says the company's future will be bright even if they fail to secure a new government contract to replace the UK's fleet of Puma helicopters. Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says the way GP surgeries are run needs to be streamlined with better financial incentives to tackle a shortage of doctors. The Cartgate Link Road in Yeovil is closed today and for the next 10 days for the removal of diseased trees...and more.

The Managing Director of Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil says the company's future will be bright even if the company fails to secure a new government contract to replace the UK's fleet of Puma helicopters. Adam Clarke says they have secured lucrative contracts and that more are on the horizon. Leonardo is bidding against Boeing and Lockheed Martin to win a £1.3 billion order to build the AW149 for the RAF. Leonard says if they win the work the AW149's will be built entirely in Yeovil.

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says the way GP surgeries are run needs to be streamlined with better financial incentives to tackle a shortage of doctors. He was commenting on the closure of the Springmead GP practice in Chard due to staff shortages. The government says it’s working on a workforce strategy to improve recruitment and retention in the NHS.

The A3088 Cartgate Link Road in Yeovil is closed today and for the next 10 days for the removal of diseased trees. Somerset County Council says the trees have become a hazard and need to be urgently taken down. The road between the Cartgate roundabout and the Garador roundabout will be shut every day until Friday 24th February from 7 am in the morning to 6 pm in the evening.

The second phase of improvements to Chard town centre has begun. Phase-1 of the Chard Regeneration Project has seen pavements areas widened and upgraded, new trees and flowerbeds planted, and the eastern entrance to the town made more attractive. Phase-2 will see shops on the High Street given a lick of paint and new life injected into some of Chard’s historic buildings.

A Somerset woman who set up a walking football team for people with Parkinson’s has won a national award. Caroline Pike has been given the title of Coach of the Year by the England Walking Football Association.

More from News

Monday 10th February

A dog, stolen in Norfolk seven years ago, has been found 200 miles away safe and well in Somerset. A man who lives in Seavington St Michael near Ilminster has been jailed after driving a car at police officers. One hundred new affordable homes could be built near Langport...and more
Friday 7th February

A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships...and more
Thursday 6th February

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a one-month-old baby boy in Chard. Kingfisher Primary School in Yeovil has been highly praised by Ofsted. Somerset Council says it’s “extremely disappointed” after its bid to form a devolved Wessex group of local councils was rejected by the government...and more.
Wednesday 5th February

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, says they had no choice but to ask the government to allow them to lift the 5 percent cap on raising Council Tax. Two teenagers have been released on bail following the stabbing in Yeovil. More than six thousand pounds has been awarded to local groups by Chard Carnival Committee...and more.
Tuesday 4th February

Somerset has been permitted to increase its Council Tax share by 7.5 percent. An Ilminster man, forced out of his house by last week's floods, says he doesn't know when he will be able to return home. Ilminster Literary Festival has launched its annual children’s writing competition, designed to encourage local children to write creative literature...and more.
Monday 3rd February

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested in connection with a stabbing in Yeovil. Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP... and more.
Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more