Local News Thursday 2nd December

Thursday, 2 December 2021 06:00

Somerset's hospitals, pharmacists and GPs are being sent detailed guidance for helping with the major expansion of the Covid booster programme. Police say they’ve stopped a large amount of drugs from circulating in Chard. Police are investigating a spate of thefts of tools from parked vans in Ilminster. The go-ahead has been given for a new farm shop to be built on the outskirts of Keinton Mandeville. One in ten people in the South West says they've been involved in a collision on a rural road...and more.

Somerset's hospitals, pharmacists and GPs are being sent detailed guidance for helping with the major expansion of the Covid booster programme. The government wants millions of people to book appointments over the coming weeks to head off the threat posed by the Omicron variant. Health leaders warn the rollout poses a "huge logistical challenge" for the NHS.

Police say they’ve stopped a large amount of drugs from circulating in Chard. It follows the arrest of a man who was carrying a bag containing drugs and also cash by members of the Chard Neighbourhood Police Team.

Police are investigating a spate of thefts of tools from parked vans in Ilminster. The Ilminster Police Neighbourhood Team is asking people who leave tools in vans overnight to stay vigilant and to report any suspicious activity.

The go-ahead has been given for a new farm shop to be built on the outskirts of Keinton Mandeville. South Somerset District Council approved the application at Newlands Farm on the grounds that it represents a justified farm diversification scheme that would benefit the local economy.

One in ten people in the South West says they've been involved in a collision on a rural road. Between 2018 and 2020, 372 people were killed on rural roads in the region with 103 killed on urban roads. NFU Mutual, British Cycling and The British Horse Society are now launching a "Respect Rural Roads" campaign to improve safety.

A new professional orchestra has launched in Somerset. The Chamber Orchestra of the West is making its debut tour of the county this week. Orchestra Leader, Jackie Shave says their aim is to bring live music to as many communities in Somerset as possible.

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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.