Local News Thursday 30th September

Thursday, 30 September 2021 06:00

Yeovil Hospital failed to meet government targets on cancer treatment over a two-year period, according to figures from Cancer Research UK. National Highways says the A303 at Marsh on the Somerset/Devon border will not be upgraded if plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and the M5 are approved. Three areas of Wincanton could see big improvements in the New Year. A Merriot man has embarked on running 52 half marathons to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation.

Yeovil Hospital failed to meet government targets on cancer treatment over a two-year period, according to figures from Cancer Research UK. The charity says NHS policy states that 85% of cancer patients urgently referred by a GP should start treatment within 62 days. However, between April 2019 and July this year, Yeovil Hospital missed the target. Cancer Research UK says a radical reform of screening and diagnostic services is needed, backed up by longer-term investment. The Department of Health and Social Care says its providing record investment in the NHS, including an additional £9 billion for elective and cancer care.

National Highways says the A303 at Marsh on the Somerset/Devon border will not be upgraded if plans to dual the A358 between Ilminster and the M5 are approved. Meanwhile, Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh says he’s continuing to lobby the government to dual the A303 Ilminster bypass, as part of the next roads investment strategy from 2025.

Three areas of Wincanton could see big improvements in the New Year. As part of plans to regenerate the town, South Somerset District Council say work will begin early in 2022 on improving Carrington Way, High Street and Market Place. In Carrington Way, a road crossing will be created with a planted areas introduced in front of the library. The scheme will also see the junction with High Street enhanced through wider pavements. On the High Street, pavements will be widened and two new on-street parking bays introduced. In Market Place, safer road crossing points will be created, along with new-planted areas and improvements to existing historic buildings.

A Merriot man has embarked on running 52 half marathons to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. Carl Hedges is also running 52, 10K’s and 52, 5k’s in memory of his grandfather Kevin Hedges who died of heart failure. Carl aims to complete the challenge by Christmas and will have covered the equivalent distance from London to Rome.

More from News

Tuesday 11th March

The union representing workers at Somerset Council is warning of further job cuts at the council next year. Secondary school pupils in Somerset are being offered help to withstand peer pressure to vape or smoke. The bells of St George's Church in Hinton St George have been fully restored after becoming difficult to ring ... and more
Monday 10th March

A property in Raglan Terrace in Yeovil has been closed down by a court order after it was linked to anti-social behaviour. NHS Somerset says investing in nurse apprenticeships has helped to boost recruitment. A new community garden has opened in Chard.... and more
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.