Wednesday 9th October

Wednesday, 9 October 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A decision on building 46 new homes at the southern edge of Castle Cary has been delayed. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with using racially aggravated abuse towards a police officer. A teacher in Chard has been awarded a top prize at the National Special Educational Needs awards... and more.

A decision on building 46 new homes at the southern edge of Castle Cary has been delayed to clarify the potential impact of the development on the local landscape and the town's conservation area. Somerset Council’s Planning Committee South voted to defer an application by Castle Cary LLP to build the houses on land between Cockhill Elm Lane and the cemetery until later in the year to allow further information to be gathered by planning officers.

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with using racially aggravated abuse towards a police officer. Sam Burden of Marl Close also faced a charge of possessing cocaine when he appeared at Yeovil Magistrates Court. Burden was fined £80 for the drugs offence and £80 for the racially aggravated offence along with a £72 victim surcharge and £40 costs.

A hospice offering end-of-life care in Somerset says it now raises more money through its charity shops than it receives from the government. Dorothy House Hospice Care says it's facing the worst funding crisis in 20 years. It's one of more than 200 charitable hospices in the UK calling on the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to provide help for the sector in this month’s Budget.

Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner, Clare Moody, is holding a public forum in Yeovil this evening. It’s your chance to influence the future of policing and meet with members of the Yeovil Neighbourhood Policing Team. The forum is being held in the Alex Stock Lounge at Yeovil Town Football Club’s ground, Huish Park, starting at 6 pm and is open to everyone to attend.

A lack of planning officers and getting rid of phosphates are behind the huge backlog of planning applications, according to Somerset Council. Developers say they are unable to meet the government house building targets because of the long delays in getting planning applications approved. Lib Dem Lead Member for Planning on Somerset Council, Mike Rigby, says they're working hard to resolve the impasse, but the situation is complicated.

A Somerset teacher has been awarded a Teacher of the Year prize at the National Association for Special Educational Needs awards. Clare Brun, a special educational needs coordinator at Holyrood Academy in Chard, was nominated for her "incredible skills" as a teacher and the way in which she has supported other staff to better understand students with additional learning needs.

More from News

Monday 10th February

A dog, stolen in Norfolk seven years ago, has been found 200 miles away safe and well in Somerset. A man who lives in Seavington St Michael near Ilminster has been jailed after driving a car at police officers. One hundred new affordable homes could be built near Langport...and more
Friday 7th February

A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships...and more
Thursday 6th February

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a one-month-old baby boy in Chard. Kingfisher Primary School in Yeovil has been highly praised by Ofsted. Somerset Council says it’s “extremely disappointed” after its bid to form a devolved Wessex group of local councils was rejected by the government...and more.
Wednesday 5th February

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, says they had no choice but to ask the government to allow them to lift the 5 percent cap on raising Council Tax. Two teenagers have been released on bail following the stabbing in Yeovil. More than six thousand pounds has been awarded to local groups by Chard Carnival Committee...and more.
Tuesday 4th February

Somerset has been permitted to increase its Council Tax share by 7.5 percent. An Ilminster man, forced out of his house by last week's floods, says he doesn't know when he will be able to return home. Ilminster Literary Festival has launched its annual children’s writing competition, designed to encourage local children to write creative literature...and more.
Monday 3rd February

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested in connection with a stabbing in Yeovil. Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP... and more.
Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more