Monday 29th January

Monday, 29 January 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Play areas in Yeovil will not get any new equipment installed for the next twelve months as part of spending cuts at Somerset Council. A Milborne Port man has been jailed for six years after being found in possession of £17,000 worth of class-A drugs. The owners of the former Oscar Mayer factory in Chard have yet to submit a planning application to develop the site, two years after it closed...and more.

Play areas in Yeovil and across South Somerset will not get any new equipment installed for the next 12 months as Somerset Council seeks to cut its spending by £100 million. The Council says the pause on buying new kit will save £168,000 and claims it will not put children and young people at risk.

The Chief Medical Officer for Somerset, Doctor Bernie Marden, says he understands people’s concerns about closing the emergency stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Despite strong objections, NHS Somerset has decided to downgrade the unit, with people who suffer a stroke in Yeovil being taken to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. The changeover will take about eighteen months to implement. Doctor Marden claims it will lead to better outcomes for stroke patients.

A Somerset man has been jailed for six years after being found in possession of £17,000 worth of class-A drugs. Matthew Appleyard, of Combe Hill, Milborne Port pleaded guilty to supplying cocaine at Taunton Crown Court. It’s estimated that Appleyard’s criminal activity netted him around £250,000. A hearing will now be held under the Proceeds of Crime Act to ensure he profits from his activities.

Somerset Council says the owners of the Oscar Mayer site in Chard have yet to submit a planning application to develop the site. The former ready-meal factory in Furnham Road remains untouched, two years after it closed. Somerset Council says it’s keen to see the site used for a business, rather than housing.

A cheque for £2,300 has been presented to Yeovil Hospital by Milborne Port Sports and Social Club. The money, given to the Oncology and Haematology Day Unit at Yeovil Hospital, was raised at events held by the Club last year.

More from News

Friday 27th February

The CEO of Leonardo has suggested the UK government could make an announcement immindently about ordering new medium lift helicopters to be built in Yeovil. A family run hardware business in Yeovil has gone into administration. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset has been named the new patron of Somerset Chamber of Commerce... and more
Thursday 26th February

Workers at Leonardo in Yeovil have been to Downing Street to hand-in a petition calling on the government to back British jobs. The decision to grant planning permission to upgrade Yeovil's Octagon Theatre has been enthusiastically welcomed by staff who work there. The search is on to find a defibrillator that has gone missing in Chard... and more
Wednesday 25th February

Plans have been passed to carry out a £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. A new medical unit providing NHS and private treatments has opened in Shepton Mallet. Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard is celebrating after receiving a Gold Artsmark for excellence in arts and cultural education...and more
Tuesday 24th February

First Bus has announced changes to bus timetables on routes across Somerset. A Somerset drone company is celebrating getting through the audition round of ITV’s Britain's Got Talent. A public footpath in South Somerset is set to remain closed for up to two years... and more
Monday 23rd February

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is warning of a scaling back of jobs at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Work is underway on the multi-million-pound refurbishment of Yeovil police station. The A361 across the Somerset Levels has reopened... and more
Friday 20th February

10,000 incidents of potholes on Somerset’s roads have been reported to Somerset Council in the past four weeks. The Met Office is warning of more unsettled weather into March for Somerset. The Crowshute link in Chard will close for eight nights next month for road repairs... and more
Thursday 19th February

Yeovil fire station is to undergo a major refurbishment. A Yeovil based charity is appealing for adults to become mentors to young people. A Somerset woman has completed a 10,000 kilometre solo bike ride across Africa... and more
Wednesday 18th February

New figures have shown a rise in cases of suicide involving farmers, including in Somerset. Plans to merge the parishes of Castle Cary and Ansford have been scrapped. A Somerset-based charity working to end homelessness is marking its 50th anniversary... and more