Local News Monday 30th May

Monday, 30 May 2022 06:00

South Somerset District Council says it’s planning to begin the £30 million pound upgrade to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in January. It’s been announced that Bruton School for Girls is to permanently close in July due to a drop in pupil numbers. Conservation groups are warning walkers in Somerset to beware of disturbing baby deer over the next few weeks. A report has found what caused a flight from RNAS Yeovilton to crash last summer narrowly avoiding houses...and more.

South Somerset District Council says it’s planning to begin the £30 million pound upgrade to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre in January. The redevelopment will include a fly tower, expanding the main auditorium capacity from 622 to 900, and creating two smaller cinema or studio spaces, with a dance studio and community studio. The Council says the project is subject to an ongoing review but the current plan is for the Octagon to close for work to begin early in the New Year.

It’s been announced that Bruton School for Girls is to permanently close in July due to a drop in pupil numbers. In 2018 the school had 199 pupils. The predicted number on roll from September is 45. Bruton School for Girls is part of The King's School Bruton Foundation. The two other schools in the Foundation, King's of Bruton and Hazlegrove, are not affected by the decision.

Conservation groups are warning walkers in Somerset to beware of disturbing baby deer over the next few weeks. Pregnant deer are currently giving birth and nursing their young across the Mendips and the Blackdown Hills. A new campaign is asking people not to approach young deer hidden in the grass and to keep dogs under close control.

A report has found what caused a flight from RNAS Yeovilton to crash last summer narrowly avoiding houses. The Hawker Sea Fury’s crankpin failed causing the engine to seize less than five minutes after take off. The pilot and his passenger both escaped without serious injury.

A petition’s been started calling on Somerset County Council to ban trail hunting on land that it owns and manages. The petition organisers, The League Against Cruel Sports, say trail hunting is a smokescreen for illegal hunting and claim that Somerset remains a hotspot for fox and deer hunting.

A shop in Chard has presented a cheque for £760 to Chard Hospital League of Friends. The Original Factory Shop on Great Western Road in Chard raised the money by selling carrier bags and holding a Christmas Bingo.

More from News

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.