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 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