Somerset Council has stepped in to protect leisure services in the east of the county after operator Fusion Lifestyle went into administration.

It is business as usual for gym and swimming facilities in Frome, Wells, Glastonbury and Street with all continuing to operate for the next 3 months while a new operator is lined up. The lido in Shepton Mallet is expected to open in May as usual.

A new early years programme to help children, parents and carers thrive from pregnancy through to school is being rolled out by Somerset Council (1 April 2026).

Called ‘Best Start in Life’, it’s designed to support families during the first five years of a child’s life through a collaborative, community-focused approach.

Somerset Council’s contractor SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK is mobilising teams to collect missed recycling from doorsteps on Sunday, 12 April.

The service has faced challenges last week, commencing 7 April after the Bank Holiday, due to staff shortages because of sickness and across Somerset, around 12,000 households have not yet had their recycling collected.

Essential works to replace and upgrade traffic signals on the busy A39 at Dunster have been completed – ahead of schedule.

The upgrade was required as the previous traffic lights had been in service for more than 30 years and had reached the end of their operational life.

Somerset Council’s Highways team and contractor Kiely Bros are preparing to surface dress some roads as part of the spring/summer maintenance programme.

Surface dressing is a nationally recognised maintenance technique for sealing a road, improving skid resistance, and preventing water getting under the surface.

Residents in Somerset are being urged to give county businesses a boost this spring by shopping and eating locally when they can.

Whether it is your local pub, café, deli, grocery or arts and craft centre, the message is – make the most of what is on your doorstep.

A by election is due to be held in the Mendip Hills division for a vacancy on Somerset Council. The Notice of Election has been published on the Council’s Election notices and statements page.

If the elections are contested, local voters will be going to the polls on 7 May 2026.

April marks the beginning of a 2-year term of office for Somerset Council’s 3 Somerset Members of Youth Parliament. Eva, Blake and Luca, will kickstart their election-winning campaigns.

Eva will be looking at sports in schools and colleges across the county, including any barriers to taking part and what can be done to make activities more accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for children and young people.

Cllr Graham Oakes, Lead Member for Public Health, and Somerset’s Director of Public Health, Alison Bell, were delighted to welcome Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England, to the county on Friday 27 March, as part of his national work exploring health and wellbeing of people living in small towns and rural communities.

A new community music initiative is set to bring people together, support wellbeing and celebrate local talent across Wellington and the surrounding area.

Together in Tone is a community-led project that uses the power of music to reduce isolation, strengthen connections and improve wellbeing for people of all ages and backgrounds.

Exploring the King Charles III England Coast Path is now easier than ever thanks to Somerset’s Accessible Coast, a new suite of leaflets and interactive virtual tours.

Created to help more people plan and enjoy a visit to the Somerset coast, these resources highlight coastal footpaths and offer essential information on accessibility, parking and public toilets.

Somerset Council is delighted to announce a week of events at Ham Hill to celebrate the National Lottery Heritage Fund project, ‘Uncovering Ham Hill’s Past for its Future’.

Running from Saturday 11 April to Saturday 18 April, the events programme will offer a rich mix of activities for all ages, showcasing the hill’s remarkable heritage, wildlife, and geology.

Somerset Council and Wellington-based conservation architects Thread are inviting local people to share their views on the future of the Tone Works site in the town.

During a series of drop-ins this month, people will have the chance to meet the team behind the project to revitalise the industrial heritage site, owned by Somerset Council, and talk about its future and what they would like to see happen.