Monday 26th February

Monday, 26 February 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

An investigation is underway into a major fire at the weekend that destroyed the premises of two businesses in Chard. Junior doctors at Yeovil Hospital are on strike again today as part of a national five-day stoppage in support of a 35 per cent pay demand. A feature film made by a lecturer at Yeovil College for just £5000 has had its premier showing...and more.

An investigation is underway into a major fire at the weekend that destroyed the premises of two businesses in Chard. It broke out in the early hours of yesterday at PMBL Batteries on Leach Road and quickly spread to an adjoining unit occupied by a gym club. 60 firefighters using eight appliances worked to put out the flames, with nearby residents told to keep all windows and doors shut due to thick smoke.

Junior doctors at Yeovil Hospital are on strike again today as part of a national five-day stoppage supporting a 35 per cent pay demand. Yeovil Hospital is advising patients to check their appointments are still happening before turning up for the appointment.

A charity that aims to improve library services says they should be protected from potential cuts here in Somerset. The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals say libraries are a 'vital' service. Thirteen out of 32 statutory libraries are volunteer-led in Somerset.

Plans have been submitted to convert an empty shop in Yeovil into flats. If approved, 107 Lower Middle Street will be turned into six flats across three floors. And, plans have been submitted for a Portakabin to be kept in use at a doctor’s surgery in Bruton. The Portakabin was introduced at the Bruton Surgery on Patwell Lane as a temporary measure to provide additional capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owners, Symphony Healthcare Services Ltd, are asking for the Portakabin to remain in place for a further five years.

A feature film made by a lecturer at Yeovil College had its premier showing at the weekend. ‘Blue’ tells the story of a father and son working together as fishermen and was shown for the first time at Cineworld in Yeovil. David Smith wrote and directed it on a budget of just £5000.

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