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News
roundup
5 September 2025
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Cllr Richard Wilkins on the A38 Chelston Link Road
A £5.7 million Somerset Council scheme to replace a deteriorating 51-year-old concrete road is progressing well with Junction 26 and the A38 Chelston Link Road now planned to reopen ahead of schedule.
All slip roads at Junction 26, the roundabout and the A38 link road from the motorway to the Chelston roundabout are set to reopen overnight on Saturday 6 September to Sunday 7 September.
Plans to introduce on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints, and expand Somerset’s overall EV charging network, have taken a significant step forward.
Somerset Council has been allocated £3,783,000 in capital funding from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund to support the installation of electric vehicle chargepoints in urban and rural areas in Somerset. The Council is now in the process of appointing a contractor.
 A far-reaching strategy that will help drive economic prosperity in Somerset over the next 20 years was published on Monday this week (1 September 2025).
The Somerset Economic Prosperity Strategy 2025 to 2045 sets out a clear vision, and priorities to bring about a significant change in economic prosperity in Somerset. It aims to build a thriving, fair and green Somerset economy that leads the UK on low-carbon energy, aerospace and defence, high-value manufacturing and digital and data.
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Visitors to Taunton’s library will now be able to pre-book free Occupational Therapy assessments along with all the other library services on offer.
Wednesday, 3 September, saw the official opening of Taunton’s Somerset Independent Living Centre (SILC) – the third of its kind in the county but the first to be housed in a library.
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Members of the Somerset community are invited to join Somerset Council’s Walk for a Life event as it returns for a 4th year on Saturday, 6 September.
Organised by Somerset Council’s Public Health team in partnership with various statutory and voluntary sector organisations, the event is held to remember those who have lost their lives to suicide, raise awareness and promote open conversations about mental health and suicide prevention.
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This Suicide Prevention Day, 10 September, Somerset Council is urging the community to recognise the critical link between domestic abuse and suicide, and to reach out to those who may be struggling in silence.
Here in Somerset, just under 45% of deaths related to domestic abuse are due to suicide. Nationally, studies show that women who experience domestic abuse are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide than those who do not (Walby and Allen, 2004; Office for National Statistics, 2019).
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Somerset Council is rolling out an AI tool to frontline social workers following the success of a pilot which showed significant time savings.
Called ‘Magic Notes’, it uses generative AI to turn meeting recordings into detailed reports and case notes – giving staff back valuable time so they can focus their attention on care.
Somerset Council initially trialled Magic Notes with 20 staff across Children’s Social Care and the Children’s Social Care Business Operations Service.
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Somerset Council’s Chair Mike Best raised the flag of Vinnytsia in Ukraine outside County Hall in Taunton to mark the country’s independence day.
Somerset and Vinnytsia signed a non-legally binding agreement earlier this year to collaborate and explore opportunities for both areas.
The flag was raised to celebrate Ukraine’s independence and show Somerset’s continuing solidarity for Ukraine and as a message of support for Ukrainians now settled in the county.
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Image courtesy of UK Government
The UK government is testing the Emergency Alerts system on Sunday 7 September 2025 at 3pm. Compatible mobile phones and tablets will receive an alert, make a loud siren-like sound and vibrate. You will not need to take any action.
The Emergency Alerts system is used to warn if there’s a danger to life nearby, including extreme weather. Regular testing ensures the system is functioning correctly, should it need to be used in a life-threatening emergency.
Image courtesy of KAVS
Charities and voluntary groups in Somerset are being encouraged to apply for the King’s Award for Voluntary Service (KAVS), the equivalent of an MBE for individuals.
The window for applying for KAVS – the highest award for voluntary groups – has just opened. The Royal award recognises outstanding work by volunteer groups to benefit their local communities.
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