Friday, 24 May 2024

Featured news

Waste collection updates for the Spring Bank Holiday

Credit: SUEZ

Recycling, rubbish and garden waste collections will again spring forward following the bank holiday on Monday, 27 May.

There will be no collections on bank holiday Monday and kerbside collections will all be one day later than usual for the rest of the week.

Waste collection service guides will arrive next week – ‘Check it, keep it’

‘Check it and keep it’ is the message for residents in the former Mendip and South Somerset areas when their Somerset Council waste service guides start to arrive next week.

Recycling and rubbish collection days will change in June for more than 92,000 residents in these areas and the guides, which include an updated collection calendar, will begin to arrive next week, detailing collection days for the next twelve months.

Robo-cats and squawking mobility aids deployed to help people live independently

Somerset Independent Living Centres (SILCs) are managed by Somerset Council and offer a range of equipment and technology which can help people live independently at home for longer.

They include kit to help people with personal care, moving around the home, cooking, cleaning, and more. There is also a growing range of technology available, known as Technology Enabled Care.

Summer’s on the way so why not ‘Bus It’ to walkies?

Somerset is blessed with fantastic countryside, historic sites, towns and beaches and fabulous dog walks. So, with fares still at £2 for any single journey the message is leave the car at home, take the bus and why not take your dog too?

Over the coming weeks the Summer Bus It campaign will highlight great places, days out and activities in our county you can get to by bus.

Latest articles

Broadband supplier fined for roadworks offences in Bridgwater

Broadband provider Nextfibre Networks Ltd has been hit with fines and charges totalling more than £11k after pleading guilty to two offences in Somerset which magistrates said posed a danger to pedestrians. Somerset Council prosecuted the firm following works carried out in Bridgwater.

Somerset Bridge Primary School celebrates record Ofsted report

Somerset Bridge Primary School in Bridgwater has achieved the strongest Ofsted outcome of any local authority maintained primary school in Somerset. Following an inspection in March, the school received a Good rating, with an Outstanding rating in three out of four sub-judgements.

Successful music hub bid for Dorset and Somerset to deliver music education

The next generation of budding musicians in Dorset and Somerset have been given a boost after a successful joint bid by Somerset and Dorset councils to become a Music Hub Lead Organisation. The Octagon Theatre has been appointed by Arts Council England to lead the Music Hub for Dorset and Somerset from September 2024, as part of an ambitious national programme to provide high-quality music education for all children and young people.

Yeovil Country Park awarded five stars by RHS Pride in Parks

Yeovil Country Park has achieved the Royal Horticultural Society’s Southwest in Bloom ‘Pride in Parks’ five-star award for the fourth time. This prestigious award showcases community involvement as well as considering the standard of the park itself and recognises the park’s team of rangers and dedicated volunteers.

“Call for sites” launched for nature-based solutions to unlock development

Somerset Council is calling on landowners to help unlock the delivery of new homes across the area by promoting their land for important nature-based solutions to development requirements. The “call for sites” is seeking submissions of land for the potential delivery of phosphate mitigation schemes and Biodiversity Net Gain to support the delivery of new development in Somerset.

Promoted news

Stay safe from animal infections when visiting farms

Stock image by Sydney Rae from Unsplash

Visiting a farm is an enjoyable and educational experience for the whole family, but it carries a risk of infection from animals or the environment. Farm animals may carry germs that can be passed from animals to humans and cause illness, with symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, nausea and body aches. In vulnerable groups, such as young children, pregnant women and elderly or immunocompromised people these infections can be particularly serious.

By following some simple rules, you can help to keep you and your children safe from infections that may be found on open or petting farms.

How would you prepare for an emergency?

Imgae courtesy of HM Government

In a newly launched website, the government is encouraging people to think about what they would do if they and those around them were exposed to risks ranging from floods to fires to power cuts.

The website provides simple and effective steps people can take to be more prepared, at gov.uk/prepare. Taking action in advance will make it easier to manage an emergency if it does happen.