Thursday 16th November

Thursday, 16 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A campaign has been launched to save the Great Lyde pub in Yeovil from closure. New data has shown the South West is experiencing the biggest percentage increase in shoplifting of all English regions. Concern has been expressed that rural parts of Somerset are being left behind in the rollout of 5G connectivity...and more.

A campaign has been launched to save a Yeovil pub from closure. The Great Lyde on Lyde Road is trading as normal while advertised for sale. Regulars have started a petition calling for the pub to be kept open after it was revealed that plans have been submitted to change the building to a school for children with special educational needs.

New data has shown the South West is experiencing the biggest percentage increase in shoplifting of all English regions. It follows news that the government plans to have shoplifting treated like organised crime. Regional Secretary of the shop workers union, USDAW, Mike Walker, says shoplifting, coupled with abusive behaviour towards shop staff, is putting people off from working in retail. The government says it is planning to have shoplifting treated like organised crime.

Concern has been expressed that rural parts of Somerset are being left behind in the roll-out of 5G connectivity. Research has shown that urban areas in the South West are having 5G introduced far quicker than rural places. Somerton and Frome MP Sarah Dyke says for far too long rural communities have been left behind when it comes to digital connectivity. She’s calling for a quick resolution to what she describes as the ‘digital divide’ that exists between city and rural areas in the South West.

A holiday park in Crewkerne has won a top regional tourism award. Peckmoor Farm Lodges was crowned Best Small Lodge Escape destination in Devon, Somerset & Dorset in the UK Staycation Awards.

Young gymnasts at Herne View Primary School in Ilminster have had the opportunity to meet and train with an international gymnast. Kelly Simm, who won gold as part of Team England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, put the children through their paces, providing tips to the young gymnasts, during a visit to the school sponsored by Premier Education of Taunton.

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