Friday, 5 April 2024

Featured news

Brand new Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation set to open in May

The new purpose-built Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation in Taunton

This is an exciting time for innovative businesses in the digital economy as the brand new purpose-built Firepool Centre for Digital Innovation (FCDI) is set to officially open its doors in Taunton.

Owned and operated by Somerset Council, FCDI has already successfully held a number of events where lucky delegates were able to get a preview of the impressive facilities.

FCDI has been made possible after successfully securing more than £7.3m of external ring-fenced funding including European Union’s European Regional Development Fund (£1.69 million) in addition to HM Government’s Getting Building Funding (£5.45 million) and Growth Deal funding (£235k).

County Cricket Club staff and players Take the Pressure Off with ‘Our Somerset’ campaign

Dr Tim Norbury from Taunton Vale Healthcare with Somerset Cricket Head Coach, Jason Kerr

Staff and players at Somerset County Cricket Club took a proactive approach to their health by participating in a blood pressure testing initiative, as part of a partnership with NHS Somerset and Somerset Council for their new ‘Take the Pressure Off’ campaign.

Held during the club’s pre-season press day, Somerset Council’s Healthy Lifestyles team, together with Dr Tim Norbury from Taunton Vale Healthcare, carried out blood pressure checks with the squad and other staff members at the Cooper Associates County Ground.

Knife Angel welcomed to Somerset

Crowds of people gathered in Taunton on Wednesday this week (3 April) for the unveiling of the Knife Angel in Somerset as part of a nationwide anti-violence tour.

The statue, which aims to raise awareness of the negative effects of violence and aggression, stands at 27 ft tall, weighs 3.5 tonnes and is made out of 100,000 knives and blades retrieved from amnesty bins from across all 43 UK police forces.

Contractor appointed for next phases of North Taunton regeneration project

CAD rendering of Phases B, C and D of the NTWP

Somerset Council has appointed Classic Builders (South West) Ltd as the main contractor of Phase B and Ci of the North Taunton Woolaway Project (NTWP).

Some 47 houses, which the government designated as defective, located on Southampton Row, Hereford Drive, Oxford Place and Durham Place, are being demolished and replaced with 53 sustainable homes.

Promoted news

#BeTickAware for the peak tick season this spring

Image courtesy of UKHSA

The UKHSA is encouraging people to ‘be tick aware’ ahead of the start of the peak tick season this spring. Peak tick season in the UK usually begins in March and ends in October, although ticks can be active all year round.

Ticks and the potential risk of Lyme Disease shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying the outdoors, but there are some things you can look out for and do to avoid being bitten.

Child Benefit changes – what you need to know

Are you missing out on Child Benefit payments because of the High Income Child Benefit Charge? If so, you may want to claim online from 6 April, when the threshold increases to £60,000. Find out more about the change and how to claim online by visiting GOV.UK’s Changes to the High Income Child Benefit Charge​ webpage.

Latest articles

Somerset swimming pools awarded funding for energy efficiency upgrades

Somerset Council has been awarded £316,700 of grant funding from Phase 2 of the government’s Swimming Pool Support Fund (SPSF). The ringfenced money from Sport England and the National Lottery will be used to install new energy efficiency measures in four Somerset leisure centres.

New Deputy Lieutenants for Somerset

Three new Deputy Lieutenants have been appointed to assist and support the Lord-Lieutenant in Somerset. They are Suresh Ariaratnam, from Bath, Jennifer Duke, who lives on Exmoor, and Sheila Wheeler, who lives in a village on the Quantock Hills.

Somerset Council gives walkers access to B3191 Cleeve Hill route

Walkers can now use the Cleeve Hill B3191 cliff top road as part of the coast path following a specialist report commissioned by Somerset Council. Temporary access was provided in time for the Easter holidays allowing pedestrians to use the route from Good Friday. Further work will be done over the coming weeks to provide a safe arrangement that will enable the access to be shared with cyclists.

Check out Somerset’s Bus Passenger Charter

Bus users in Somerset are being signposted to an important document aimed at protecting the quality and performance of bus services. Drawn up by Somerset Council, bus user groups and operators, the Bus Passenger Charter for Somerset establishes a consistent standard for bus services to meet and aims to improve the way passengers can hold the Council and operators to account.

Somerset Council and Kier launch new highways partnership

A new era in Somerset’s highways maintenance was marked by Somerset Council and Kier this week. The new £225m contract started on 1 April and covers key maintenance works on Somerset’s 4,172-mile road network. This includes road repairs, drainage, verge cutting and winter service, such as gritting and other emergency functions in adverse weather.

Council proposes new 20mph speed limits following requests from communities

Somerset Council is proposing 15 new speed limits in the county at the request of local communities. The changes would be funded by the communities as part of an initiative run by the Council. Last year there were a number of requests from across Somerset for either 20mph or 30mph limits following concerns about safety.