Tuesday 12th November

Tuesday, 12 November 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

New figures have shown a sharp rise in crime in Chard in the last six months. A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about the joys of being a foster parent at the age of 88. Councillor Pauline Parsons has been honoured for her 40 years service to the local community...and more

Chard Neighbourhood Policing Team says it remains dedicated as ever to cracking down on crime, to make Chard a safer place for people to live, work and visit. It follows data showing that the highest number of crimes of the last three years were recorded in Chard between July and September. 516 crimes were recorded, a 13.2 per cent increase in the same period in 2023 when 362 crimes were recorded. Local people say the rise in crime has left them feeling unsafe, especially in the crime-hotspot areas like Silver Street, Jocelyn Park and Bishop's Court. Meanwhile, two people have been arrested following a burglary in Chard. A bank card was taken and later used to buy items at a local supermarket. A 63-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both arrested on suspicion of burglary, remain in police custody.

NHS Somerset is calling on people to donate the gift of blood this Christmas. They’re asking people to book appointments in the lead-up to Christmas to avoid last December's results when the amount of donated blood was at its lowest for three years. NHS Somerset says it takes only one hour to give a pint of blood, with each donation saving or improving the lives of three people.

Wessex Water has been fined half a million pounds for polluting a river and killing thousands of fish. The company admitted three failures in 2018, causing the deaths of two thousand fish, including endangered eels. Wessex Water says it has improved its systems to stop it from happening again.

A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about being a foster parent at the age of 88. Nigel, who’s believed to be the oldest foster carer in the County, has been providing a home for children awaiting long-term adoption for the last four years and has even been known to take those in his care to Glastonbury Festival. He says although it's hard work at his age but still enjoys doing it.

Councillor Pauline Parons of Seavington St Michael Parish Council has been honoured for her forty years of service to the local community. Pauline, who’s stepping down as a councillor, gave four decades of service to Seavington St Michael Parish Council as both a member and clerk.

A new accessible toilet has opened in the Quedam Shopping Centre in Yeovil. The facility, paid for through the government’s Changing Places Toilets Fund is designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities that limit their mobility. The new accessible toilet can be found in the Quedam opposite New Look.

More from News

Thursday 27th November

A new NHS dentist in Chard will start seeing its first patients next Tuesday. The go-ahead has been given to install five new lighting and CCTV columns on Milfield Road in Chard. Work is to start in January, replacing ageing traffic signals at the A39 junction with Clarks Village in Street...and more
Wednesday 26th November

Workers at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil, belonging to the Unite union, have accepted a new pay offer of 8% over two years. Yeovil Town has appointed a new first-team Manager. A new NHS dental practice is due to open in Chard next month...and more
Tuesday 25th November

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling on the Chancellor to deliver ‘real economic growth’ for Yeovil in her budget tomorrow. The government has given Yeovil College £2 million to upgrade its engineering facilities. A Chard-based charity has sent 7,000 boxes filled with Christmas gifts to Ukraine...and more.
Monday 24th November

A church leader has warned that “irrevocable damage” will be caused to town centres if Somerset Council starts charging for Sunday parking. Fifty new homes are to be built in Castle Cary following a successful planning appeal. A call has been made for a memorial to the victims who died in a plane crash on the Blackdown Hills 80 years ago...and more.
Friday 21st November

A public inquiry is being held into plans to build a large solar farm in the village of Wayford. Fire crews have put out a small blaze at Tesco in Ilminster. Canadian firm KDC One is closing its Wellington factory, putting dozens of jobs at risk. It's Ilminster's turn to switch on the Christmas lights tonight... and more.
Thursday 20th November

Taunton Town Council has agreed to provide funding for five years to support the town's Brewhouse Theatre. The Environment Agency is warning that Somerset could experience a drought next spring if this winter is drier than usual. We’re being asked to look out for rough sleepers during the current cold snap...and more
Wednesday 19th November

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for stronger preventative measures to stop sewage discharges into local waterways. Somerset Council is to provide three new children's homes across the County. Street Football Club has appointed a father-and-son team to manage the club... and more.
Tuesday 18th November

Somerset Council has set up a task force to help identify land for a permanent traveller’s site in the county. Police are appealing for information after a charity shop in Martock was targeted by burglars. A Somerset woman is seeking individuals with a connection to the armed forces to join a new amateur rowing club...and more.