Monday 25th March

Monday, 25 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Twenty-five new electric buses will soon start running on Somerset’s roads thanks to a £14.7 million Government investment in public transport. A record number of houses were sold in Chard last year making it one of the most popular towns in Somerset to live in. Yeovil's Marlie Packer won her 100th cap with the England Women’s Rugby team playing Italy in a Six Nations game yesterday...and more.

Twenty-five new electric buses are to be introduced on Somerset’s roads thanks to a £14.7 million investment in public transport by the government. The double-decker and single-decker buses are being paid for by a grant from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission scheme. The electric buses will replace some of Buses of Somerset’s diesel fleet, and will each save up to 60 tonnes of tailpipe emissions every year.

The number of community food pantries operating in Somerset has risen to ten. Community food pantries give out food to those in the greatest need that has been donated by supermarkets that would otherwise be thrown away.

It seems Chard is a place where more and more people want to live. Figures from the property website Rightmove show that house sales in Chard last year more than doubled. Rightmove says that compared to 2022 the number of property sales in Chard rose by 123 per cent last year.

Yeovil-based solicitors Battens came away winners at the 2024 Somerset Business Awards, held in Weston-super-mare, at the weekend. Battens, who have offices in Princes Street in Yeovil, was presented with the ‘Investing in Somerset Award’ sponsored by Hinkley Point C.

Mill on the Brue at Bruton is asking for permission to install ninety-four solar panels at the outdoor activity centre. A planning application to Somerset Council says the panels will be sited near to the entrance, not far away from an existing bridleway.

Somerset is on a list of places to report UFO sightings. In their annual report, the research group UFO Identified says fifteen unexplained objects or lights were spotted in the skies over Somerset between January 2021 and December 2023. It brings to 193, the total number of UFO sightings across the South West in the last four years.

Yeovil's Marlie Packer won her 100th cap playing for the England Women’s Rugby team in a Six Nations game against Italy yesterday. The 34-year-old flanker and England Captain, who attended Bucker’s Mead Academy in Yeovil, made her debut for the Red Roses in 2008 and is only the seventh English women’s rugby player to win 100 caps playing for her country.

More from News

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.
Monday 3rd March

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
Friday 28th February

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.
Thursday 27th February

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
Wednesday 26th February

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.