The first apartments in Somerset Council’s Rainbow Way development in Minehead are heading towards completion and prospective tenants are being invited to enjoy a tour later this month.

A special open event is being held on Tuesday 21 January from 2pm to 5pm, giving local people the chance to see one of the new homes for themselves.

Residents are being given a winter reminder of the benefits of Somerset Council’s Home Library Service.

Winter can be a lonely time for people who find themselves housebound. But they can venture into a whole new world of reading thanks to the Home Library Service (HLS).

The Leaders of Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire Councils have submitted a letter to the Government to confirm they wish to be considered as part of the Devolution Priority Programme.

This proposal is not a merger of the 3 councils. Each council will remain independent, continuing to serve its local communities as individual authorities.

Work is due to start this month to remove a small number of trees along the embankment wall of Chard Reservoir Dam and to cut back 2 further trees due to ash die-back.

The work, being commissioned by Somerset Council, to prepare for works to strengthen and raise a retaining barrier at the reservoir. Future work involves building a low wall along one section of the reservoir to reduce the risk of water overtopping at Chaffcombe Road, protecting the dam structure itself from catastrophic failure.

Residents, businesses and visitors are being invited to give their views on proposals to renew the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for dog control in Somerset East – the area formerly covered by Mendip District Council.

Somerset Council has launched the consultation to seek views on a proposal to make an order reintroducing 3 restrictions, for 3 years.

Somerset Council will be resurfacing a busy roundabout at the junction of the B3140 and Love Lane in Burnham-on-Sea.

The Council’s contractor Heidelberg Materials will be doing the work during the evening from 21 to 28 January, between 6.30pm and 11.30pm on week days only.

Somerset Council will be resurfacing one of the county’s key roads next week.

Evening work on the A361 High Street and Fore Street in Othery will be undertaken between Wednesday 22 January and Saturday 8 February.

The road will be closed to vehicles on week days only from 6.30pm to 11.30pm during these dates. It will be open at all other times except Saturday 8 February.

Having responded to 16 false alarms per day on average last year, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DSFRS) has started a consultation with options to change how it responds to automatic fire alarms.

To address this inefficiency, the consultation focuses solely on automatic alerts – attendance in response to genuine emergencies involving reported fires, single domestic properties and high-risk buildings will always be maintained.

Parents and carers can now earn up to £60,000 before paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge, making it beneficial to claim Child Benefit for incomes up to £80,000.

Benefits include National Insurance credits and automatic National Insurance numbers for children.

Find out more and claim online or in the HMRC app.