Archive
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'There is still a long way to go': Somerset Council Leader responds to Budget 2024
THE leader of the Somerset Council has responded after Rachel Reeves' budget was released today (October 30). Cllr Bill Revans has cautiously welcomed today’s news of the potential for more funding for local government but says further action is
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South West Water announces a huge new reservoir in the works after a six year wait
SOUTH West Water have confirmed they are resurrecting massive plans to build a second reservoir near Cheddar in Somerset after dropping the project six years ago. Engineers have already started surveying the land, after the announcement of the
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Bridgwater & Taunton College and Strode College set to merge
BRIDGWATER & Taunton College and Strode College have announced their intention to merge, calling it "a significant step toward enhancing educational services and opportunities for students and communities across the region". Both Boards of Governors
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'I fear for the South West': Anna Sabine MP reacts to the budget
THE MP for Frome and East Somerset has responded after Rachel Reeves revealed the Labour Government's 2024 Budget plans. Anna picked on several points made during Rachel Reeves' talk today (October 30), mainly discussing the future of the NHS,
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Exmoor's 'quintessential' English tearoom Kitnors finds new owners
EXMOOR'S seventy-year-old tearoom Kitnors has been let to a new operator and is expected to reopen to customers in the Spring. The English tearoom temporarily closed its doors at the end of the season on October 17 and has been taken over by new
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Somerset communities invited to apply for up to £3,000 in charity grant
A CHARITY is offering money up to £3,000 to communities who have a connection to a devastating disease. Parkinson’s UK is offering up to £3,000 in grant funding for any communities with a connection to the condition across Somerset and the surrounding
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Man who threatened to kill support worker left victim fearing for life, court hears
A MAN who flew into a rage and threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit he was living in at Yeovil left his victim fearing for her life. Matthew Hunniset kicked open a door hitting her in the head and then started slashing
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Man accused of carrying out assault on his mother in her car
A MAN accused of carrying out a violent assault on his own mother as he was driving her in his car in Frome has appeared in court charged with an allegation of domestic violence. Lloyd Martin-Doile allegedly hit her with an open palm and then repeatedly
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Somerset Council lays out timeline for new Yeovil facilities after 765 homes approved
Somerset Council has laid out its timetable for when vital new education, health and other facilities will be provided in Yeovil following the approval of a major housing development. The Abbey Manor Group applied back in June 2014 to deliver 765
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Budget highlights from pensions and fuel duty to inheritance and price of a pint
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set out a Budget which will increase taxes by £40 billion as she promised to “fix the foundations” of the economy and repair the public finances. In the first Labour Budget since 2010 – and the first ever delivered by a
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Somerset cricket club could soon be surrounded by 130 new homes
A small Somerset cricket club could soon be completed surrounded by up to 130 new homes after initial plans were teased to local residents. Trull Cricket Club lies on the southern side of Dipford Road just outside the main village, a stone’s throw
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New MenKind shop opens in Taunton's Orchard Shopping Centre
A NEW shop has arrived in Taunton's Orchard Shopping Centre this month. MenKind has opened opposite Greggs in Taunton's biggest shopping centre. Speaking about the type of customer base MenKind has, a spokesperson who works at MenKind said:
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Pair found guilty of a 'monstrous act' after baby left 'profoundly disabled'
A man and woman have been convicted after a baby was left profoundly disabled in what Judge Julian Lambert described in court as a "monstrous act". Tom Kember, 27, and Katherine Reilly, 25, both of Taunton, had both denied the charges against
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirms Fuel Duty won't rise next year
Fuel Duty will not rise next year, after Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced she would maintain the freeze on the tax. Fuel Duty is tax that affects anyone looking to purchase fuel for their car as well as people wanting to heat their home.
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Businesses considering lay-offs in response to National Minimum Wage hike
Businesses fear that increases to the National Minimum Wage and an increase in employer National Insurance contributions may be the final nails in the coffin for struggling firms. "The UK’s minimum wage is up 37% since 21/22," says Rachel Watkyn
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Woman who clipped the kerb was nearly twice the drink drive limit
A WELLS woman who clipped a kerb and ended up with her car in the middle of the road after damaging a wheel was nearly twice the drink drive limit. When police were called to the scene in New Street they found Kerry Ingram walking down the road
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RECAP: The Budget 2024: How is Somerset affected?
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Yeovil MP demands response from health secretary over future of stroke services
Yeovil’s MP has demanded a response from health secretary Wes Streeting MP over the future of the town’s stroke services. The NHS Somerset integrated care board (ICB) voted in late-January to approve plans to remove Yeovil Hospital’s hyper-acute
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England Rugby star backs Bradford's Yeovil Movember campaign
Bradfords Yeovil is launching its 2024 campaign with global men’s health charity Movember. The business is once again supporting the charity’s focus on men’s mental and physical health and the challenges found in the construction industry.
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Leach and Bashir get England call ups
Somerset spinners Jack Leach and Shoaib Bashir have been called up to the England squad for a three-match tour of New Zealand this winter. The 16-man squad is as folllows: Ben Stokes (Durham, captain), Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire) Gus Atkinson
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Higgs on Horses: 'National hunt season is well underway'
It doesn’t seem five minutes since the last Taunton evening meeting in April and yours truly has enjoyed watching City Of Troy taking all before him over the Summer and a couple of recreational trips to Croatia and Crete. A couple of weekends
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Taunton & Pickeridge pair win Daily Mail foursomes
Many congratulations to Taunton and Pickeridge Golf Club’s Louise Worth and Rosie Spragg who got to the final round of the Daily Mail Foursomes. In and very keenly fought final match the T&P duo , unfortunately lost on the 19th hole, but this
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COLUMN: 'Action needed on poor cricket pitches'
When England return to play test cricket in Pakistan in 2027, it will be interesting to see if the International Cricket Council, will have taken any action against Pakistan for their preparation of the wickets which favoured the Pakistan spinners
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Sheppy's Cider Farm ranked as 'one of the best' farm shops in the country
A POPULAR farm shop that resides in Taunton has been ranked as "one of the best" farm shops in the country by The Times and The Sunday Times in a top 35 list. Looking at Sheppy's Cider Farm, a spokesperson from The Sunday Times said: "The Sheppy
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'The team deserves credit' - Lewis Gregory reflects on what might have been
The summer of 2024 was one of what might have been for Somerset County Cricket Club. Despite the disappointment of missing out on all three trophies in the final stages of the season, Lewis Gregory believes that the team deserve credit for their
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Taunton Titans chalk up another win in home game with Cinderford
“I was happy with this good win and pleased at how the team were brave enough to keep playing even though they were up against it for long periods, and how well they were able to build on the score in the second half.” These were the comments from
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Police force move to revoke officer’s vetting status ‘irrational’, court told
A police force’s decision to revoke an officer’s vetting status due to allegations made against him almost a decade earlier was “irrational”, the High Court has heard. Joseph Quirke was arrested in November 2014, aged 18, after a 14-year-old girl
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Wellington's 'temporary library' could become four-bed home
A WELLINGTON council building could be redeveloped into a "four-bedroom detached house" as it hits the market for £250,000. The redundant county council building at 55 North Street, Wellington, was most recently used to house the town’s library
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Somerset farmer 'concerned' ahead of possible Budget tax rises
A SOMERSET farmer is among small business owners "seriously concerned" by the prospect of tax rises in Wednesday's Budget, with some fearing they will need to cut their employee headcount. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to increase employer
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Paul Fox: How you can save money on energy bills this winter
As of October 1, the Ofgem Price Cap increased by 10 per cent, from £1,568 to £1,717 per year - writes Paul Fox. This will probably mean that your monthly energy bills have gone up. However, there are ways to reduce this cost. Paul Fox,
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Somerset Council-backed loan helping homes keep the heat in
Homeowners are encouraged to take steps towards more energy-efficient homes and lower energy bills with a Somerset Council-backed Lendology loan. With the arrival of winter and rising energy prices, Lendology CIC, a social enterprise lender, and
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Free Remembrance train travel for serving military and veterans
South Western Railway (SWR) is to offer free travel for serving military personnel and veterans attending Remembrance Sunday events. This offer is available for any local events on Sunday, November 10. Additionally, travel to Waterloo for the
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Runner takes on 100k endurance challenge for his nan
A recreational runner will tackle a 100k endurance challenge to honour his nan and raise funds for a nursing home. Seb Gange will make his way around Maidenbrook Country Park, Monkton Heathfield on Remembrance Day, November 11, with proceeds going
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Henry Haslam: 'We are conducting an experiment on the planet'
In my last column, I wrote about pollution, and about how very small quantities of man-made substances can disrupt the biology of some animals. I described some of the examples that we know about. But what about all the consequences that we
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Wellington win again to extend winning run to five games
A penalty from skipper Sam Towler was enough to stretch Wellington’s winning run to five games at the Playing Field on Saturday. Defender Mark Cornish was our man-of-the-match and he received the award from Michael Owen – bar manager and Reserves
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Five star Minehead ease past Nailsea and Tickenham Reserves
Minehead secured a decisive victory against Nailsea and Tickenham Reserves, edging closer to the top of the table. The match began with Nailsea and Tickenham Reserves showing promise in the first 25 minutes. However, Minehead's Josh Elston
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Wellington vet awarded dental diploma
A vet at Wellington animal hospital, Cave Veterinary Specialists, has become a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Dentistry. Annabel McFadzean, head of the dental and oral department at the Linnaeus-owned facility, commuted from Somerset
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Three of the best Somerset locations serving ultimate Sunday roasts
Are you looking for the perfect Sunday Roast? These three locations in Somerset are renowned for their mouthwatering roasts, offering tender meats, crispy roast potatoes and all of the trimmings, in cosy, traditional settings. Discover where to
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Letter: 'Somerset Patient Transport Service is in utter chaos'
On October 24, I tried to ring the Somerset Patient Transport Service to arrange for transport for an appointment at Harefield Hospital in Middlesex. 23 years ago I had a heart and double lung transplant and have regular appointments in London.
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Letter: 'Hypocrisy runs deep in Trump's Republican party'
Editor - So, a few Labour supporters go to campaign for the Democrats candidate in the United States election and the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is quick to complain. Yet when Nigel Farage and Liz Truss go over to campaign for
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Care homes come together to support Frome food bank
Two care homes have once again come together to support the Fair Frome Food Bank. Frome Nursing Home and Catherine House Care Home have organised another collection drive this year, gathering food and monetary donations for families in need.
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Volunteers needed to collect money at Shepton Mallet Carnival
Fundraisers at a children's hospice are calling for volunteers to help collect money at Shepton Mallet Carnival. The event, on November 13, is one of seven parades by the Somerset County Guy Fawkes Carnival Association. Attracting tens of thousands
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Letter: 'The Comeytrowe housing plan is bad for Taunton'
Who is this housing development for? How will it benefit the people of Taunton, Somerset, and the wider community? Will it help fix the shortage of homes in this county, and nationwide? There’s a UK-wide shortage of homes that the new government