Only one person in Somerset has been prosecuted for fly-tipping in the last two years. A new law governing tips could make local service industry staff better off. Traffic was severely held up yesterday afternoon, after a collision on the A303... and more..
Somerset Council has confirmed only one person in the county has been prosecuted for fly-tipping in the last two years. Enforcement was originally the responsibility of Somerset’s four district councils until the creation of the unitary authority last year. It’s thought that lack of evidence and enforcement resources mean it’s difficult to bring cases forward.
Meanwhile, the Council will submit expressions of interest in devolution, alongside Dorset and Wiltshire councils, in response to a government request. The ambition is to unlock greater powers and resources for the area. Whilst the three councils have differing goals and ambitions for their respective regions, they have come together to explore the possibilities that could come from the Government’s devolution agenda.
If you work in the service industry, a new law governing tips, could mean you're better off from now on. The Employment Act 2023 means that employers now have to make sure workers receive the full tip from a customer. It's thought it'll benefit around two million workers country-wide. Café staff in the area think that it’s important that tips are fairly shared out.
And mid-afternoon commuters and school-run traffic was severely held up yesterday afternoon, after a collision on the A303, between Horton and the Southfields roundabout. The eastbound stretch had to be closed for a period between 3 and 5pm, but was reopened in time for rush hour. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
Somerset Council is pursuing a less ambitious plan for redeveloping Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he hasn’t given up on trying to keep open the town’s hyper-acute stroke unit. Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space in the Triangle in Lower Middle Street will open for public use early in the New Year...and more
A Somerset pensioner has criticised the government for refusing to compensate women who claim they were not given adequate warning about changes to the start date for receiving the state pension. Parents are being asked to check their children have been vaccinated against measles following a rise in cases. The use of energy-saving light bulbs is greater in the South West than in any other region in England.
The Unite union says it is becoming ‘increasingly anxious’ about a delay in awarding Leonardo in Yeovil a multi-million-pound contract to build a new medium-lift helicopter for the RAF. The government has set Somerset a target to build 3,700 new homes next year. A boxing glove once worn by Muhammad Ali is being auctioned in Chard today...and more
Emergency teams are still working across Somerset to remove trees damaged in last week’s Storm Darragh. Crewkerne Town Council has been asked to ban the Seavington Hunt from gathering in the town centre on Boxing Day. The London Standard newspaper has named the Lord Poulett Arms in Hinton St George as its "Country Pub of the Week"...and more
The government says it won’t intervene in the decision to close the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Police are asking for witnesses to an accident in Yeovil in which a man suffered a broken leg. Shepton Beauchamp Church of England Primary School has been rated as good by Ofsted...and more.
Somerset-based social housing provider, Stonewater, is urging caution over plans by the government to relax the planning rules. The Samaritans in Yeovil are gearing up for their busiest time of the year. The curtain goes up today on this year’s Yeovil panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, at the Westlands Entertainment venue...and more.
Farmers from Somerset were amongst the hundreds of others from across the UK who gathered in London yesterday. Avon and Somerset Police is trialling a new way to find people with dementia when they are reported missing. A cake designer from Yeovil has been crowned Best Cake Designer in the South West...and more.
An open letter has been sent to NHS Somerset asking for a revision of the decision to close the emergency stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset residents, whose lives and property were impacted by Storm Darragh, could be entitled to compensation. Haselbury Mill, near Crewkerne, has been sold for an undisclosed price...and more.
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