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.

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Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more
Friday 28th August

An organisation that investigates loan sharks has opened a branch in Taunton. Free parking on Sundays in Somerset's main towns could end just before Christmas. Local communities in and around Draycott will be able to take advantage of a shuttle bus service... and more.
Thursday 27th August

A 21 mile stretch of the M5 is to be given a 50mph speed limit for three years. Chard remains a safe place to work, live and visit say Avon & Somerset Police. Sunflowers of Somerset is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a photography competition and community activities... and more.
Wednesday 26th August

Two people have been arrested and released under investigation after the death of a baby in Crewkerne. A large sand picture of the prime minister has appeared in Burnham On Sea. The wet winter and hot summer means cider producers are struggling with their yields... and more.
Tuesday 25th August

Fire crews have been dealing with a fire in Ilchester which broke out yesterday afternoon. Somerset’s frontline health services say heatwaves and tourism are making their jobs more difficult. A Chard health store has been named Natural Lifestyle Retailer of the Year.. and more.
Monday 24th August

The Chair of the NFU has repeated calls for a longer-term plan to tackle bluetongue, Three men have been jailed for their involvement in car key burglaries in Somerset. Police say they’re treating a fire in Norton Fitzwarren as suspicious... and more.