Wednesday 16th October

Wednesday, 16 October 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is asking businesses to package products using only recyclable plastic. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for the NHS to be made a top priority in the upcoming Budget. A Langport woman was left in shock after finding a dead cockroach in a parcel delivered to her home containing clothing that she bought online...and more

Somerset Council is asking businesses to package products using only recyclable plastic. It follows an investigation which found that incinerating rubbish can be as polluting as burning coal. Somerset Council uses an incinerator at Avonmouth to dispose of black bin bags. Director for Climate and Place at the Council, Mickey Green, has defended the process claiming incineration can be beneficial.

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for the NHS to be made a top priority in the upcoming Budget. His comments follow figure showing that Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, who run Yeovil Hospital, failed to meet its cancer treatment targets in August. Mr Dance MP blames years of underfunding of the NHS and is urging the Chancellor to prioritise NHS services in the Budget later this month.

A Planning Inspector has over-turned a decision not to allow a new housing development at Oakhill near Shepton Mallet. At a meeting in February, Somerset Council rejected plans to build 23 new homes on land at Chapelfield in Oakhill. But following an appeal, a Planning Inspector has ruled Johnson Land Ltd can go ahead with the development.

Langport woman, Amy Jowett, was left in shock after finding a dead cockroach in a parcel delivered to her home that contained clothing she has bought online. The incident comes a week after a live Scorpian was found in a package delivered by the same retailer to an address in Bristol.

Somerset Council says it received just over four thousand complaints in the year 2023/24. 1300 of them were later withdrawn, leaving 2700 to be investigated. The majority were about planning issues and delays getting phone calls answered.
Bruton-based cheese makers, Wyke Farms, have been recognized for their environmental credentials at a national competition. The business was given the Environmental Leadership prize at the UK Food and Drink Industry Awards for creating a sustainable working farm where the electricity and gas is self-sourced from biogas and solar.

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Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more
Friday 17th July

Plans have been submitted to build 30 new homes in Ashill. As the heatwave continues, a Somerset air conditioning business says demand for its services has never been higher. Morrisons has confirmed it will close its Glenthorne Avenue store in Yeovil on August 1st... and more
Thursday 16th July

Plans to build up to one hundred new homes on Yeovil's former cattle market have moved a step closer. It’s being made easier for parents in Somerset to register children for free school meals. Wessex Water says it has no plans for a hosepipe ban at the moment but is keeping a close eye on supplies as demand increases... and more
Wednesday 15th July

Bus passengers in Yeovil have been provided with easier access to the town's bus station. Firefighters are warning of an increased risk of wildfires because of the hot weather. Aldi is asking for public comments on plans to build a new food store in Chard... and more