Local News Tuesday 1st February

Tuesday, 1 February 2022 06:00

People aged sixteen and over in South Somerset, who are severely immunosuppressed, can book to have a booster Covid jab online from today. Incidents of illegal fly-tipping rose significantly across South Somerset last year, according to new data. People in South Somerset with Type two diabetes could be offered a soup-and-shake diet on the NHS. Organisers of the Ilminster Tree Project say they’ve planted more than 2,000 trees as part of efforts to plant 7,000 trees, representing one tree for every resident of the town...and more.

People aged sixteen and over in South Somerset, who are severely immunosuppressed, can book to have a booster Covid jab online from today. The group includes people having treatment for conditions such as cancer or those with long-term chronic conditions where their condition puts them at greater risk if they were to contract Covid. Meanwhile, Covid rules in local care homes have been eased. Restrictions on visitor numbers have been lifted, together with the isolation periods for staff who test positive with Covid, cut to 14 days.

Incidents of illegal fly-tipping rose significantly across South Somerset last year, according to new data. Figures from DEFRA, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, show 797 incidents of fly-tipping were reported in South Somerset in 2021, compared to 561 in 2020.

People in South Somerset with Type two diabetes could be offered a soup-and-shake diet on the NHS. A pilot study found that it helped obese people lose more than two stones in three months. People who are put on the diet will get the soups and shakes for free and get support from clinicians. After three months, they'll be given a programme to reintroduce nutritious food to their diet.

Organisers of the Ilminster Tree Project say they’ve planted more than 2,000 trees as part of efforts to plant 7,000 trees, representing one tree for every resident of the town. A social event is being held at The Dolphin Inn in Ilminster tonight for those involved in the project and for anyone who would like to join as a volunteer.

Yeovil Town are back in action tonight, they take on Weymouth in a National League fixture at Huish Park, the kick-off is at 7:45 pm.

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Wednesday 24th December

A formal planning application has been made to carry out significant improvements to Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre, costing £15 million. The Halifax Bank in King George Street in Yeovil could be converted into 17 flats. A new young people’s centre opens in Chard early in the New Year...and more.
Tuesday 23rd December

NHS Somerset reports a strong uptake of flu jabs, but some eligible people for free vaccinations haven’t come forward. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 in which a pedestrian was killed. A Crewkerne woman has gone viral on TikTok after being trapped inside a Lidl store in the town... and more.
Monday 22nd December

Somerset Bus Partnership has welcomed a £24.7m boost for the county's bus services. Outline planning permission has been granted to build up to 100 new homes in Ilminster. An Ilminster man has been banned from keeping animals for seven years. Residents in Chiselborough have set up a group to try and re-open the village pub...and more.
Friday 19th December

Crewkerne Community Hospital is to lose half its inpatient beds. A review will be conducted of a project to make Bridgwater more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly. Chard Methodist Church is offering residents a free lunch on Christmas Day. Yeovil-based Screwfix is opening a new outlet in Minehead...and more.
Thursday 18th December

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has warned that delays in ordering 30 new medium lift helicopters for the RAF is putting the future of Somerset’s defence industries at risk. Somerset's farmers are being urged to convert more cow manure into biogas to heat homes. A new visitor centre has opened at Ham Hill country park...and more
Wednesday 17th December

Parcel business, Evri, has been criticised by Glastonbury and Somerton MP Sarah Dyke over what she claims have been ‘widespread delivery failures’. Demand for mental health support provided by South Western Ambulance Service is running at record levels. A nine-year-old Somerset boy has completed 100 days of litter picking for charity...and more
Tuesday 14th December

New data shows that crime in the Avon and Somerset police area is at an all-time high. Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard has issued a warning to prospective pet owners ahead of Christmas. The owner of four pubs in Somerset has warned that many could be forced to shut unless the government reconsiders business rates...and more.
Monday 15th December

Toolstream in Yeovil has been put into administration, threatening the jobs of dozens of employees. NHS Somerset has issued a last chance call for people to get a flu jab after hospital admissions increased by 76% in a week. Police are investigating the theft of a bike valued at £7,000 in Sherborne... and more