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Somerset Council says it received just over four thousand complaints in the year 2023/24. 1300 of them were later withdrawn, leaving 2700 to be investigated.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.

More from News

Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more
Thursday 3rd September

Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more
Friday 28th August

An organisation that investigates loan sharks has opened a branch in Taunton. Free parking on Sundays in Somerset's main towns could end just before Christmas. Local communities in and around Draycott will be able to take advantage of a shuttle bus service... and more.