Tuesday 5th November

Tuesday, 5 November 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The A303 between Ilchester and Sparkford can now be used as a dual carriageway for the first time. People living in rural parts of South Somerset may not get high-speed broadband until 2027. Plans have been submitted to build 150 new homes on the site of the former Horlicks Factory in Ilminster...and more

National Highways say the A303 between Ilchester and Sparkford can now be used for the first time as a dual carriageway. It follows the completion of two years of work dualling the road, with lanes in both directions between Ilchester and Sparkford now open to traffic, and speed restrictions that had been in operation lifted.

People living in rural parts of South Somerset may not get high-speed broadband until 2027. Installer, Airband, had promised to connect 55 thousand properties across Devon and Somerset to full fibre broadband by the end of 2025 but now says that’s unlikely to happen. Airband has told 'Connecting Devon and Somerset' the company who awarded them the contract, that only around 30,000 homes are likely to get high-speed broadband, and that won’t be until 2027.

Plans have been submitted to build 150 new homes on the site of the former Horlicks Factory in Ilminster. The 22-hectare site is divided by Station Road and includes the creation of a flood alleviation channel adjacent to the River Isle. If the application is approved, the new homes will be built to the north of Station Road, with a mix of different-use buildings, including offices, general industrial, and drive-thru uses, on the southern half of the site.

The former Conservative group leader on Somerset County Council, David Fothergill has welcomed the choice of Kemi Badenoch as new Leader of the Conservative party. He says as the first major political party in Europe to choose a black woman as a Leader, the Conservatives are leading the way in inclusivity and diversity.

NHS Somerset has been shortlisted for a Health Service Journal Award for its work with the Armed Forces hub, Ark. The Ark project, based at Egwood near Merriot, provides care and support to serving and retired military personnel and is partly funded by NHS Somerset.

More from News

Thursday 21st November

Bus campaigners are warning that government funding to improve Somerset’s bus network could be lost if Somerset Council goes bankrupt. GPs in Somerset are calling on the government to protect them from planned National Insurance tax rises for employers. Luxury handbag maker, Mulberry, is cutting dozens of jobs, including here in our locality...and more
Wednesday 20th November

Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, says he’ll vote in favour of the Assisted Dying Bill when it comes before Parliament later this month. Manor Court Primary School in Chard has been rated as ‘good’ following an OFSTED inspection. Forty-nine new homes are to be built at Broadway Hill in Horton, near Ilminster, following a successful planning appeal...and more
Tuesday 19th November

Somerset Council is investigating the source of a raw sewage leak at Limington, near Ilchester. Somerset has been given £7 million to improve local bus services. Chard Road Runners have donated three hundred rolls of wrapping paper to the Chard Christmas Present Appeal...and more
Monday 18th November

Nightspots in Yeovil are participating in a new initiative aimed at reducing crime and making people feel safer. A drop-in session is taking place in Chard this week for local people to ask questions about a new £2 million flood prevention scheme. The A303 eastbound between Ilchester and Podimore will be closed from 8 pm tonight until 6 am tomorrow...and more.
Friday 15th November

National Highways says the scheme to dual the A303 between Ilchester and Sparkford has been designed in the interests of motorists, horse riders, cyclists, and pedestrians. An investigation has been launched after a teenage girl was forced into a car in Wincanton. The number of children in Somerset being home-educated has nearly doubled since the Covid pandemic...and more
Thursday 14th November

Farmers in Somerset are being asked not to leave roads covered in mud following an accident near Ilminster A liver screening project developed in Somerset could be rolled out across the UK. Senior managers at Somerset Council have been awarded a 2.5 per cent pay rise...and more
Wednesday 13th November

A South Petherton man has appeared in court charged with four counts of assaulting police officers. Public Health officials in Somerset have welcomed the news that an improved anti-smoking pill will be available locally on the NHS. A Royal Navy Commander, based at RNAS Yeovilton, has raised £4,000 for Help the Heroes with a world record attempt...and more
Tuesday 12th November

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