Local News Wednesday 10th May

Tuesday, 9 May 2023 19:16

By Steve Haigh

A major incident has been declared with people evacuated from their homes following flash flooding in parts of South Somerset. A Somerset pharmacist is questioning whether chemist shops should be asked to prescribe medicines for common health conditions. One of Chard’s most important historic buildings has been saved for the nation. The public toilets at the Ilminster recreation ground have again been vandalised...and more.

A major incident has been declared with people evacuated from their homes following flash flooding in parts of South Somerset. The worst affected areas are Queen Camel, North and South Cadbury and Galhampton. Some roads are blocked with drivers asked not to drive through flooded roads. The Environment Agency is advising homeowners to take all necessary precautions to protect their homes from flooding in the affected areas.

A Somerset pharmacist is questioning asking chemist shops to prescribe medicines for common health conditions. The government is planning to introduce the new measure to free up millions of GP appointments. Mike Hewitson, a chemist in Norton-Sub-Hamdon near Yeovil, says pharmacists are already over-worked and that it may not be such a good idea.

One of Chard’s most important historic buildings has been saved for posterity. The Old Courthouse on Fore Street has been acquired by Somerset Council and leased to the Somerset Building Preservation Trust which will now restore the property. The Old Courthouse is a Grade-I listed building dating from the late sixteenth century and retains many original features including a first-floor courtroom with a barrel-vaulted ceiling.

The next phase of dualling the A303 between the Podimore and Sparkford roundabouts starts later this month. A 30 mph speed limit will be in place with some sections of the new road brought into use while the work is being carried out. The new dual carriage is scheduled to open by mid-2024.

Developers wanting to convert the former White Horse Hotel in Wincanton say the "at risk" status on the building is delaying work on the project. Planning permission has been granted to turn the property into a shop and flats but the architect, Stuart Hall, says they can’t make progress until the “at risk” status has been removed.

The public toilets at the Ilminster recreation ground have again been vandalised. A ceiling was damaged, a window smashed, a picnic bench broken, and signs ripped off in the skate park area. Police are asking anyone with information to please call the non-emergency number 101.

A pub in Crewkerne has been put-up for sale. The Royal Oak, in Hermitage Street, has been closed for a time and is in need of restoration. The freehouse, which is close to the town centre, is on the market at three hundred and ninety thousand pounds.

More from News

Monday 10th February

A dog, stolen in Norfolk seven years ago, has been found 200 miles away safe and well in Somerset. A man who lives in Seavington St Michael near Ilminster has been jailed after driving a car at police officers. One hundred new affordable homes could be built near Langport...and more
Friday 7th February

A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships...and more
Thursday 6th February

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a one-month-old baby boy in Chard. Kingfisher Primary School in Yeovil has been highly praised by Ofsted. Somerset Council says it’s “extremely disappointed” after its bid to form a devolved Wessex group of local councils was rejected by the government...and more.
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