Local News Wednesday 19th January

Wednesday, 19 January 2022 06:00

A rare gold coin, dating back to the 13th century, has been found on the Blackdown Hills. Somerset’s economy has suffered more than most during the pandemic due to it being too reliant on the hospitality sector. Chard has been given funding to help one hundred local people, not in work. Magna Housing says half of the twenty-eight new homes that it plans to build at Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil will be ‘affordable’...and more.

A rare gold coin, dating back to the 13th century, has been found on the Blackdown Hills, on the Somerset Devon border. It was discovered using a metal detector on farmland near Hemyock. The coin, minted during the reign of King Henry the third, is being sold at auction this weekend and could fetch up to half a million pounds.

Somerset’s economy has suffered more than most during the pandemic due to it being too reliant on the hospitality sector, according to new research. The study by the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise says new policies for supporting the hospitality sector are urgently needed should the pandemic continue or a second pandemic arise in the future.

Chard has been given funding to help one hundred local people not in work become more physically active and equip them with the skills to move closer to employment. The project will see people, not in jobs given training to use social media, online banking, and the internet to search for jobs. The scheme’s funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund and is being run through Somerset County Council.

Magna Housing says half of the twenty-eight new homes that it plans to build at Chilthorne Domer near Yeovil will be ‘affordable’. South Somerset District Council is expected to make a decision on the planned development on Vagg Lane by early Spring.

Somerset Wildlife Trust is asking people to monitor the amount of frog and toad spawn in their local areas. The Trust says the information is needed to gauge the effects of climate change on the local environment, using the habits of frogs and toads as source material for the study.

A new tractor sales and serving business has opened at South Petherton. C & O Tractors, based in Blandford, have opened the new branch at premises, previously occupied by Medland & Sanders.

More from News

Thursday 13th March

A new campaign has been launched to persuade people in Somerset to stop smoking. Four people have been arrested in Chard in connection with the supply of Class A drugs. A dog from Yeovil has won the title of ‘best in breed’ at Cruffs....and more.
Wednesday 12th March

A charity in Somerset is appealing for support after one of its sites was vandalised. The Leader of Somerset Council has been to Westminster to put the case for central government to provide councils with more money. A new primary school is to built in Chard.... and more
Tuesday 11th March

The union representing workers at Somerset Council is warning of further job cuts at the council next year. Secondary school pupils in Somerset are being offered help to withstand peer pressure to vape or smoke. The bells of St George's Church in Hinton St George have been fully restored after becoming difficult to ring ... and more
Monday 10th March

A property in Raglan Terrace in Yeovil has been closed down by a court order after it was linked to anti-social behaviour. NHS Somerset says investing in nurse apprenticeships has helped to boost recruitment. A new community garden has opened in Chard.... and more
Friday 7th March

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
Thursday 6th March

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
Wednesday 5th March

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.
Tuesday 4th March

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.