BBC Somerset

Bus services to get £139m funding boost

Bus services to get £139m funding boost

Hundreds of millions of pounds of government funding is to be spent on supporting bus services in the South and West of England.The Department for Transport (DfT) said the money, to be rolled out between 2026 and 2029, would help local travel become more reliable. Councils across the two regions will get a combined £139m in funding to help improve both the bus services themselves, as well as network infrastructure. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said a total of…

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Need To Know Somerset – Frome fire ripped through block of flats

Need To Know Somerset – Frome fire ripped through block of flats

Available for over a yearFire crews were called to the property on the evening of Wednesday the 3rd of December. Nine people have been moved into temporary accommodation in hotels due to extensive fire, smoke and water damage to the building. Image credit: Chloe RaeburnProgramme WebsiteShow less Source link

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Man, 18, hit by car on motorway was Tasered before death

Man, 18, hit by car on motorway was Tasered before death

National HighwaysLogan Smith, 18, died after being hit by a car on the M5 in North Somerset on SundayAn 18-year-old who got out of an ambulance on a motorway was Tasered by police before he was hit by a car and died, the police watchdog has said.Logan Smith, from Weston-super-Mare, died on the M5 in North Somerset late on Sunday evening. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said he was being taken to hospital when concerned paramedics…

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Shane Burger: Somerset batting coach to leave club

Shane Burger: Somerset batting coach to leave club

Somerset batting coach Shane Burger is to leave the club.The 43-year-old, who was also an assistant coach at Taunton, had been with the club since January 2023 when he left his role as Scotland head coach.Burger had been contracted through to the end of 2026, but will leave to take up "new opportunity within the English domestic game"."We've achieved so much in the last three years," he told the club website."There's been growth in the squad and we've…

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Billy Rowley: New Yeovil Town manager ‘really confident’ in current squad

Billy Rowley: New Yeovil Town manager ‘really confident’ in current squad

Yeovil is Rowley's first management role this high in the English football pyramid having previously been in charge of seventh-tier Walton & Hersham.The 43-year-old has previously worked in the academies of Chelsea, Millwall and Fulham while he also coached in the USA.In his 10 days at the helm so far, Rowley said he had "learned a lot" as he adjusts to a new level of football. "One thing I back myself on is being a good learner, being…

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Somerset NHS dentists open thousands of new patient spaces

Somerset NHS dentists open thousands of new patient spaces

Three new NHS dental practices offering a combined 20,000 patient places are opening in a county to help tackle a lack of dental care.Two new dental practices which opened in Chard and Wellington in Somerset will be followed by a third due to open in Crewkerne in January.This marks the first large-scale procurement of NHS dental services in the county since local NHS commissioners took over responsibility for dentistry from NHS England in April 2023.Among the first patients…

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James Purefoy’s Somerset tour ‘a way of giving something back’

James Purefoy’s Somerset tour ‘a way of giving something back’

James DiamondWest of EnglandGetty ImagesJames Purefoy says he feels "a weight lift from his shoulders" when he returns to SomersetActor James Purefoy says a tour of village halls across his home county is his way of "giving back" to where he grew up.Purefoy, 61, grew up in Martock in Somerset and is in the middle of a tour across the county which involves him answering questions about his life and career, which includes film and TV series including…

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Free Christmas events across the West this winter

Free Christmas events across the West this winter

BBCChristmas markets are opening up all around the West The Christmas countdown has begun and a range of festive events have been planned to keep you occupied for the merry season. Christmas can get expensive, so here is a list of all the free events to keep the cheer alive this year.Bristol Cathedral will host a Advent Procession this yearBristolThere are numerous free and affordable events for families happening in Bristol.Seasonal Children's Cinema: City Farm Cafe will host…

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Bristol to Bath path opened to Dott e-scooters and e-bikes

Bristol to Bath path opened to Dott e-scooters and e-bikes

Getty ImagesThe area covered by the scooter scheme is expanding in Bristol and BathThe area covered by an official e-scooter and e-bike scheme has been increased to cover a popular pedestrian and cycle route.The Bristol and Bath Railway Path between Bitton, Emersons Green, and Temple Meads rail station has been opened up to riders, along with Concorde Way to Ashley Down in Bristol.Operator Dott has also expanded into Southdown, Odd Down and Combe Down in Bath, adding an…

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Cheddar recycling centre to remain open for foreseeable future

Cheddar recycling centre to remain open for foreseeable future

There are no immediate plans to shut a recycling centre, which two years ago was earmarked for closure in a cost-saving measure.Somerset Council published plans in January 2024 to shut five of the county's 16 recycling centres, including one in Cheddar, in a bid to save £963,000.Somerset Council has now confirmed Cheddar's recycling centre will remain open with its current hours for the foreseeable future.Councillor Richard Wilkins, lead for waste services, said: "If any closure is proposed, it…

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