New figures show that from the start of the year, black people were six times more likely than white people to be the target of a stop and search by Avon and Somerset Police. A housing developer is taking legal action against Somerset Council. A Somerset teenager hopes to break records when he sets off on a journey around the UK coastline in an electric boat...and more.
New figures show that from the start of the year, black people were six times more likely than white people to be the target of a stop and search by Avon and Somerset Police. It’s a small decrease from last year when black people were seven times more likely to be subjected to stop and search, and after the force was described as ‘institutionally racist’.
A housing developer is taking legal action against Somerset Council in a bid to prevent further delays to building 130 new homes on the Somerset-Dorset border. The Planning Inspectorate granted outline permission to Gladman Developments in 2018 to build up to 130 homes on Woodhayes Way in Henstridge. But Somerset Council has twice turned down the developer's proposals to improve the A357 that links with the development. The developer has now lodged a further appeal with the Planning Inspectorate in a bid to get the central government to sign off on its road improvements and allow building work to begin before the outline planning permission expires.
The ruling executive at Somerset Council meets next Monday to decide whether to pay waste contractor Suez an extra 47 million pounds. Suez says the pandemic, the roll-out of new services and inflation mean the cost of delivering services has far exceeded projections. A report to the council has looked at alternatives but concludes that paying Suez the extra money appears to be the least bad option.
A Somerset teenager hopes to break records when he sets off on a journey around the UK coastline in an electric boat. Harry Bleasley, who is 18, will start his charity fundraising challenge in the summer. Harry says using an electric boat, rather than one that is conventionally powered, will be challenging.
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
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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