Monday 6th November

Monday, 6 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans by Somerset Council to sell £220 million of commercial properties could take up to two years to complete. Ninety per cent of care home residents in Somerset have received a Covid-19 jab. Ilchester Football Club is seeking financial help following damage to its ground in last week’s torrential rainstorms. A mother from Somerset has been talking to Princess Anne about how hard it is to be a parent carer...and more.

Plans by Somerset Council to sell £220 million of commercial properties could take up to two years to complete. The portfolio of properties includes shops like the Marks and Spencer store and former Wilko store in Yeovil, offices and other buildings both in Somerset and other parts of the country, The buildings are currently valued at substantially less than what was paid for them with Somerset Council facing a £70 million loss on the sale. This week, the Council is expected to declare a financial emergency as it battles to sort out its spending to stave off bankruptcy.

Ninety per cent of care home residents in Somerset have received a Covid-19 jab, according to NHS Somerset. 128,000 Covid-19 vaccinations have been given since the winter campaign was launched in Somerset in September.

A mother from Somerset has been talking to Princess Anne about how hard it is to be a parent carer. Tina Amery was presented with an OBE by the Princess Royal for her services to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Tina says the Princess listened very carefully to all her points.

Ilchester Football Club is seeking financial help following damage to its ground in last week’s torrential thunderstorms. The club says its pitches and the clubhouse were left waterlogged when the River Yeo burst its banks. A GoFundMe page has been launched asking people to contribute towards getting the Club back up and running again.

A Somerset man who is planning to build a house says he is "confused" and "frustrated" by river pollution rules that are preventing him from starting work. Tony Fuller wants to build the house in Winsham, near Chard but has been told by planners that he needs to spend £55,000 on environmental credits or his planning application will be refused. Mr Fuller says the longer the delay goes on, the more it will cost him to build the house.

The go-ahead has been given to build a new care home in Yeovil. The 66-bedroom care home will be built on a vacant plot on Highfield Road, off St Michael’s Avenue. Planning permission had previously been granted to build 14 new homes on the land.

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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.