Local News Wednesday 16th August

Wednesday, 16 August 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Two people have been charged in connection with a burglary at a school in Yeovil. Somerset Council's facing a legal challenge over plans to build new houses in Chilthorne Domer. The Somerset charity Re-Engage is appealing for volunteers. A Somerset winemaker says 2023 could be a vintage year for local producers...and more.

Two people have been charged in connection with a burglary at a school in Yeovil. Tyler Singer, aged 21, of Shepton Mallet, faces a charge of non-dwelling burglary, taking a vehicle without the owner's consent and driving without insurance. Grace Brownhill, aged 18, also from Shepton Mallet, faces a charge of non-dwelling burglary and being a passenger in a stolen vehicle. The charges relate to a break-in at Westfield Academy School in Yeovil on Sunday, June 11th.

Somerset Council is facing a legal challenge over a delay in deciding a planning application. Developers, Land Allocation Ltd applied to build seventy-three new homes in Chilthorne Domer in August 2020 but neither South Somerset District Council nor its successor Somerset Council has yet made a decision on the application. Land Allocation Ltd has lodged an appeal with the Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination, meaning Somerset Council has failed to come to a decision in a reasonable period.

A Somerset teacher says schools should be encouraging more pupils to take up music. Data shows a twelve per cent decline in the take up of music in schools last year. The appeal comes from Nicola Thompson, a Senior Teacher at Somerset Music, which is part of Somerset Council's Support Services for Education.

The Somerset charity Re-Engage is appealing for volunteers to become phone companions for older people. According to Office of National Statistics data, there are around twenty-five thousand people aged sixty and over living alone in Somerset, desperate for companionship.

Somerset winemakers say it could be an exceptional year for grapes with production at record levels. Guy Smith from the Smith and Evans Vineyard near Langport says the mixed summer weather has not affected his crops but is hoping for a dry September.

Green Flags have been awarded to three council-run open spaces in South Somerset. The scheme gives green flag status to public spaces with high environmental standards. In the latest round of awards, Green Flags were given to Yeovil Country Park, Ham Hill Country Park, and Chard Reservoir Nature Reserve.

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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
Wednesday 29th January

New mums in Somerset could soon be offered a cervical screening test six weeks after giving birth. Police are asking for help in finding a Yeovil man wanted on recall to prison. The government has given half a million pounds towards planting more trees in Somerset, including 100 new trees in Yeovil...and more
Tuesday 28th January

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more
Monday 27th January

A major incident has been declared by Somerset Council to ensure a multi-agency response to the flash flooding that's affected Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, South Petherton and parts of Yeovil. Police believe a 4x4 pick-up truck, found submerged in the River Yeo at Yeovilton at the weekend, may have been stolen. An appeal to raise £2 million to restore the Grand Organ at Wells Cathedral has raised over £1 million in less than 18 months...and more