BBC Somerset

A temporary library has been opened while emergency repairs are carried out at the original facility.Bridgwater Library has been closed since 22 October after £1.5m of county council funding was agreed to fix its leaking roof.Somerset Council has opened a pop-up library at Bridgwater House for locals who want to access services.Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, lead member for communities, housing and culture said the council was "really pleased" at being able to provide the "vital resource for the community".The…

Scott EllisBBC News, West of EnglandBBCIsaac O'Shea from O'Shea Engineering described the restoration project as "extremely rewarding"A set of 600-year-old church bells have been restored after they were found to be "falling apart".When the bells at St John's Church in Biddisham, near Axbridge in Somerset, were dusted off for the King's Coronation in 2023, it was discovered they were in a poor state.Isaac O'Shea, from Gloucestershire, was tasked with repairing the bells in June. He said: "All the…

A major route is closed in both directions following a "serious collision" in the early hours of the morning, police said.The M5 is shut between junctions 20 for Clevedon and 21 for Weston-super-Mare, according to Avon and Somerset Police. The motorway has been closed in both directions since 02:00 GMT and National Highways say the road is not expected to reopen until about 10:30 GMT.Diversions are in place but traffic monitoring site, INRIX, are reporting the routes are…

A new community swimming pool in Somerset is another step closer to reality, after the county received a government grant for projects which will improve inactivity.Around £230,000 will be spent along the Somerset coast, between Porlock and Burnham-on-Sea, including on the new facility in Minehead.The Somerset Active Sports Partnership (SASP) will pay for a feasibility report into a new swimming pool in West Somerset, as well as spreading the money among community groups.The organisation's chief executive officer Jane…

BBCIt's a busy week of news coming up in the West of England. We take a look at what you can expect to read about on the BBC News website in the next seven days.Airport meetingTuesday: A public meeting is being held over plans for Bristol Airport to extend its runway - meaning it would take over a part of nearby Felton Common.The airport wants a longer runway to accommodate long-haul flights.Airport bosses say they realise how important…

Bird flu has been confirmed at a large, commercial poultry site, according to the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).It says a 3km (1.9 mile) protection zone and a further 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone have been declared around premises, which is near the village of Ashcott, in Somerset.Defra said the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 had been confirmed on 29 November.It added that all the poultry on the premises would be humanely culled.The 10km…

A high street newsagent has closed its doors for the final time, after serving its community for 116 years.GW Hurley Newsagents, in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, opened in 1919 in the premises of a former sweet shop and has stayed in the same family ever since.Colin Morris, who has run the shop for 55 years, said his health had forced him and his wife, Monika, to close down for the final time on Saturday.He said: "I was born here, my…