Tuesday 4th February

Tuesday, 4 February 2025 05:00

By Steve Haigh

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.

The government is giving Somerset Council more breathing space to help sort out its finances. The Council, which is limited to increasing the Council Tax by 5 percent, is facing a shortfall of £66 million on planned spending during the financial year 205/26. But, after writing to the government, the Council has been told it can break the 5 percent limit and increase Council Tax by 7.5 per cent. It will add an average of £130 extra to Council Tax bills from April. Lib Dem Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, says although welcome, the increase will still not raise enough money to fill the funding gap of £66 million, and capital receipts from property sales will have to be used to pay day-to-day running costs.

One week after being forced to leave his home due to flooding, an Ilminster man says he's still no closer to moving back in. Ben Perham's home on Ditton Street was left underwater during last Monday’s heavy storms, forcing him to leave. He says the process to get back into the house is moving very slowly. Meanwhile, the Co-op in St James Street in South Petherton has re-opened after being closed by flooding. The shop says that while it's open, it will be some time yet before they’re fully back to normal.

Avon and Somerset Police is to get £30 million more to spend in the next financial year. The government has allocated an extra one billion pounds to England’s police forces, with £100 million ring-fenced for employing community support officers.

The Village Agents scheme in Somerset says the government’s decision to cut winter fuel payments has hit people really hard in Somerset. They say hundreds of people have asked for help, after not being able to pay their heating bills.

Rail passengers planning to travel between Taunton and Weston- Super-mare this week are being advised that no trains will be running on the line due to engineering works. A replacement bus service will operate instead up to Saturday.

Ilminster Literary Festival has launched its annual children’s writing competition, designed to encourage and support local children in writing creative literature. The closing date for entries is March 28th, with the winners announced on May 16th.

More from News

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.