Local News Monday 3rd July

Monday, 3 July 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Waste collection crews in Somerset are threatening strike action. The Mayor of Yeovil has spoken of the importance of Yeovil's ethnic minority communities to the local economy. Plans have been submitted to install solar panels on the roof of Chard Guildhall. West Country-based wheelchair tennis star Lucy Shuker says she's 'as hungry as ever for success'...and more.

Talks are due to resume this week to try and avert a planned strike by waste collection crews in Somerset. Members of the Unite Union are threatening to stop work for three days each week starting Wednesday, July 13th. A pay increase of eight per cent made by Suez UK; the contracted waste collectors for Somerset Waste Partnership, was rejected in a ballot of Unite members, in favour of industrial action. Crews are also refusing to do overtime and catch-up collections. SWP says contingency planning is underway to try and limit the impact on households and businesses should the strike go ahead.

The Mayor of Yeovil has spoken of his support for Yeovil’s ethnic minority communities. Councillor Andy Kendall, who was attending the Yeovil Together gathering held yesterday at the Westland Entertainment venue, said people from other nations living in Yeovil were essential to the local economy and to the delivery of local services.

Plans have been submitted to install solar panels on the roof of Chard Guildhall. If approved by Somerset Council, twenty-eight photo-voltaic solar panels would be fitted to the West facing roof slope at the rear of the Guildhall.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage to crash on the A30 near Yarcombe in which a man was killed. It happened on Saturday and involved a white Ford Fiesta. No other vehicle was involved. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage to please call the non-emergency number 101.

Seven buildings in Somerset, including the former NatWest Bank in Crewkerne, have been put on a list of buildings in England considered to be ‘at risk’. The list’s been compiled by Save Britain’s Heritage.

West Country-based wheelchair tennis star Lucy Shuker says she's 'as hungry as ever for success' as she takes part in her thirteenth Wimbledon beginning today. The paralympic silver medalist has been given a wildcard at this year’s championships and will be competing in both the singles and doubles events. Lucy says her focus is on winning a title.

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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
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more