News Friday 24th January

Friday, 24 January 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK...and more

Plans have been submitted to build a David Lloyd Health and Fitness Club in Yeovil. The complex, to be sited on the southeast corner of the Bunford Business Park off Watercombe Lane, includes indoor and outdoor swimming pools, three outdoor tennis courts, gym and spa facilities, a children’s soft play area, and lounge facilities and terrace. Somerset Council has yet to say when the plans will go before the Somerset Planning Committee for a decision. The application is submitted on behalf of David Lloyd Leisure Ltd and the Abbey Manor Group Ltd, owners of the Bunford Business Park site. David Lloyd, the former professional tennis player, set up his Leisure business in 1982. Today, he operates 134 clubs across the UK and Europe, employing eight thousand staff.

Carers in Somerset say spending cuts to mental health support services will be hugely damaging. Cuts to the mental health carers assessment service follow a review, which Somerset Council claims will deliver best value. Mel Warburton looks after her daughter, who has several physical and mental health conditions. She’s unconvinced the changes will work better for carers like her.

A housing development in Keinton Mandeville could still go ahead after an appeal was lodged. Galion Homes put forward plans in 2021 to build 30 homes to the north of Church Street. Somerset Council’s Planning South Committee voted to refuse the application in December saying the houses were unwanted and would damage the character of the area. Now, the developer has appealed the decision, with the Planning Inspectorate expected to make a ruling on the application later in the year.

A new care home is set to open in March in Yeovil. Potter House on Highfield Road, part of Oyster Care Homes, offers en-suite rooms, bistro, garden room, hair salon, and cinema room.

People with memories of Somerset women's cricket side are being asked to take part in a project to preserve its history. Researcher, Dr Hannah Thompson-Radford, who’s leading the project, is asking for help filling in blanks on scorecards which only feature a player’s initials instead of their full name.

Two of our local restaurants have been listed in the top 100 restaurants in the UK, by the food magazine, SquareMeals. Osip in Bruton was singled out for making its dishes using local ingredients, while Holm in South Petherton was praised for its seasonal tasting menus.

More from News

Thursday 17th April

The father of a one-month-old baby boy in Chard is to stand trial for the murder of his son. New figures show that just under 1300 crimes were reported to the Police in Yeovil during the final quarter of last year. A night in a prison cell is offered at Shepton Mallet Jail to those who want to be alone this Easter...and more.
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