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News roundup
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County Hall, Taunton
Somerset Council’s Executive has set out a series of actions as it declared a financial emergency in response to soaring costs and demands on services.
Latest budget figures show the Council is facing a funding gap of £100m for 2024/25 due in large part to an expected increase of £70m in the cost of adult social for 2024/25.
The nights are drawing in, party season is almost here and the message from Somerset Council is have a hassle-free night and ‘Bus It.’
The Council is using ring-fenced Government funding to subsidise evening services from Monday to Saturday connecting Taunton with the towns of Minehead, Bridgwater, Wellington and Chard after 8pm.
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The stranded seal pup at Watchet Harbour
Our Harbour Master at Watchet received a call from a local resident about a young Atlantic grey seal pup that was washed ashore near one of our slipways after Storm Ciarán.
The young pup had a nasty cut on its head and weighed just 12kg.
Sea Watch Foundation was contacted and after a couple of hours of monitoring the seal, it was decided it should be transferred to Newquay seal sanctuary to be treated and released back into the wild when fit enough.
If you're heading into Taunton this weekend, note the temporary road closures that will be in place throughout the commemorations.
A rogue trader has been ordered to pay almost £40,000 after convincing a pensioner to let him carry out roofing work that wasn’t needed.
The victim, from Somerset, used her life savings.
Mervyn Rhys Richards, 43, of Swindon, was ordered to pay a fine of £6,500, £190 victim surcharge, £4,250 towards prosecution costs and £27,500 in compensation after pleading guilty at Taunton Magistrates Court on Monday (6th November).
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Image courtesy of HMRC
Couples who are married or in a civil partnership are being urged by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to spend just 30 seconds to see if they can claim Marriage Allowance and boost their finances by up to £252 a year.
By using HMRC’s online Marriage Allowance calculator during Talk Money Week, couples can find out instantly if they are eligible. Couples who may be unaware that they could claim include those where one partner is working and the other has income less than their personal allowance of £12,570.
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Two of Yeovil’s main streets, High Street and Borough, have been re-opened to pedestrians in time for Remembrance Day commemorations this weekend.
Closed since April, High Street, Hendford and Borough have undergone extensive reconstruction and upgrading as part of the public realm enhancements of the Yeovil Refresh scheme.
Key to these works have been the improvement of Borough’s position in the heart of the town’s conservation area along with the setting around the War Memorial.
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An informed discussion, featuring a panel of professionals, will explore mortality at a special event being held at Yeovil Library on Saturday 18 November between 2pm and 3.30pm.
The panel of invited guest speakers will discuss the biggest of big questions: Why do we die? Is there anything afterwards? Can I face my own death well? How do I find hope? This will be followed by an extended Q&A with the audience.
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The carnival season has yet again kicked off in Somerset. The annual parades through our Somerset towns and the city entertains thousands of residents throughout November.
Many townspeople have been working tirelessly on the carnivals over the past year and hundreds of hours have been put in by the clubs and committee members, but have you ever thought of how Somerset Council contributes to helping the Carnivals run smoothly?
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Somerset Council has been awarded £211,208 from the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (Phase 1).
The money will be divided across five swimming pool facilities within Somerset at Frome Leisure Centre, Shepton Mallet Lido, Wells Leisure Centre, Brean Splash and Burnham-on-Sea Swim and Sports Academy.
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New national rules are on the way that mean developers will need to leave nature better than they found it – and Somerset Council is seeking your views on how we introduce them to the county.
New Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation, expected to come into force in January next year, means planning applications for new developments in England must leave nature better off than before, and create new habitats and green spaces to compensate for the ones they are eliminating as part of the build.
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A tree – donated by Buckingham Palace – is being planted in Taunton to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III.
The red oak will be formally planted in the Sensory Garden at Vivary Park by the Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Mohammed Saddiq, assisted by the Chair of Somerset Council, Councillor Mike Best.
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Taunton Recycling Site will reopen on Monday (13 November) after a month-long closure caused by a major fire.
Demolition of an unsafe building badly damaged in the fire is due to be finished by the end of this week, meaning the site can be safely used by the public again from Monday.
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