Local News Wednesday 17th August

Wednesday, 17 August 2022 06:00

A senior manager at South Western Ambulance says the handover of patients to hospitals is the worst he's ever known. Ilminster has some of the worst public transport links in the south west, according to new data. People in Keinton Mandeville are campaigning against proposals for new housing development. A Yeovil landlord says the pub trade has still not fully recovered from the business lost during the pandemic and work has started in Martock connecting homes and businesses to ultrafast broadband.

A senior manager at South Western Ambulance says the handover of patients to hospitals is the worst he's ever known. Deputy Director of Clinical Care, Adrian South says the service is under "sustained pressure" and that staff are finding the work "soul-destroying". The Department of Health and Social Care says it’s given the ambulance service an extra £150 million to help deal with the current situation.

Ilminster has some of the worst public transport links in the south west, according to new data. In a report, the Campaign for Better Transport says the town has been left with no direct bus service to Yeovil and that only two buses run between Ilminster and Taunton before 9 am Monday to Saturday. The report calls for Somerset County Council to be given more powers to develop local transport networks, especially in places like Ilminster, and for free bus travel to be given to some passengers.

People in Keinton Mandeville are campaigning against proposals for new housing development. Developers, LVA, want to build 120 homes in the village.

A Yeovil landlord says the pub trade has still not fully recovered from the business lost during the pandemic. Peter Lambden, who runs the Quicksilver Mail pub at the top of Hendford Hill says people are not socialising like they used to and that coupled with rising costs and staff shortages, pubs like his continue to struggle.

Work has started in Martock connecting homes and businesses to ultrafast broadband. Gigaclear is currently installing fibre cabling in Martock where, historically, internet speeds have been slow. The company says the network should be completed early next year when it will be extended to Langport and Curry Rivel.

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Thursday 17th April

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Wednesday 16th April

Big changes are being made to where taxi ranks in Yeovil are located. Farmers are being told to keep an extra lookout for people acting suspiciously following the latest livestock theft near the Devon and Somerset border. Channel 4’s Location Location Location is coming to Somerset, with anyone looking to buy a property locally invited to apply to be in the show...and more
Tuesday 15th April

A 36-year-old man remains in police custody after being arrested on suspicion of a sexual assault in Yeovil. Yeovil Labour Club has had its drinks licence revoked. NHS Somerset has been taking its physiotherapy team around the county to cut waiting times for patients. A men-only cooking course has been launched in Sherborne with all ingredients and equipment provided free of charge...and more
Monday 14th April

A new banking hub has opened in Crewkerne. South Western Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in a life-threatening emergency over the Easter weekend. £1.8 million is being spent improving walking and cycling routes around a major new housing development at Up Mudford in Yeovil...and more
Friday 11th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in Yeovil in which a man riding an e-bike was injured and later died in hospital. Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says the number of false alarm calls it receives is on the increase. A new micro-pub opens in Chard next week...and more
Thursday 10th April

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for more targeted support for schools in Somerset. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident near Wells in which a cyclist died. Plans have been approved to convert a former care home in Yeovil into a house of multiple occupation...and more
Wednesday 9th April

A man from Yeovil has been jailed for stabbing another man in a pub in the town. Work is underway to help minimize the flood risk at Chard Reservoir. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-six new homes at Sparkford. A new Town Crier is needed in Glastonbury...and more
Tuesday 8th April

Work is underway to demolish the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with drink driving for a third time. Somerset Council has paid £35,000 in compensation for failing to deliver the right support to children with special educational needs. Another shop in Yeovil town centre is closing for good today...and more