county news

‘Moment of joy’ for girl with rare blood cancer

‘Moment of joy’ for girl with rare blood cancer

Marcus WhiteSouth of EnglandCancer Support UKMelody's teddy bear gift brought joy to the family, Cancer Support UK saidA girl who has spent months battling a rare blood cancer is helping to spearhead a charity Christmas campaign.Melody, who turns one year old on Thursday, was diagnosed in April with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).Her father Kevin, from Poole, Dorset, said a bone marrow transplant had not worked sufficiently well and doctors were "literally searching the whole world" for a cure…

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Frome battery site refusal overturned by government

Frome battery site refusal overturned by government

Daniel MumbyLocal Demoracy Reporting ServiceDaniel MumbyThe new battery site will be built near a housing estateA battery energy storage site is to be built in a town despite being initially rejected by local councillors.Somerset Council had refused permission for Trina Solar UK to build the facility on land north of Styles Close, in Frome, Somerset, in February.Residents campaigning against the proposals, which includes storage for about 30 megawatts, had claimed the site posed a "fire risk and put…

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Somerset and Bristol climate emergency targets set to be missed

Somerset and Bristol climate emergency targets set to be missed

Hannah MillerBBC Bristol political reporterPA MediaThe Met Office said it expects the UK to experience drier summers on average due to climate changeCouncils in the West are not on track to meet their net zero targets, seven years after Bristol City Council became the first local authority in the country to declare a climate emergency.A report to North Somerset Council says it is "not currently meeting the trajectory for reaching net zero by 2030".While total emissions have fallen…

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Working with local communities to manage green spaces could help biodiversity crisis, new study finds

Helping communities manage green spaces by understanding how they use and value the area could be an effective way for local governments to tackle the biodiversity crisis, according to a new study from the University of Exeter. Local councils in the UK are under growing pressure to increase publicly accessible green spaces in towns and cities to boost biodiversity, as well as improve public wellbeing. Research has shown effective stewardship of urban green spaces not only improves biodiversity,…

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Fire destroys building at Somerset Animal Farm Adventure Park

Fire destroys building at Somerset Animal Farm Adventure Park

GoogleA fire has destroyed a building at Animal Farm Adventure ParkA fire has completely destroyed a building at an animal adventure park.Firefighters attended a blaze at the Animal Farm Adventure Park in Berrow, near Burnham-on-Sea at 15:37 GMT on Tuesday.Four appliances from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) were sent to the incident.A building measuring 30m x 50m (98 ft x 164 ft) was completed destroyed by the flames, said DFRS. The cause of the fire,…

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Emergency measures activated as Met Office predicts -4C chill

Emergency measures activated as Met Office predicts -4C chill

Emergency action has been taken to support rough sleepers as temperatures are predicted to drop below freezing.Several councils across the west of England have activated Severe Weather Emergency Protocols (SWEP) to provide extra accommodation to people experiencing homelessness.Measures are in place in Tewkesbury and Cheltenham on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and across Wiltshire from Wednesday. SWEP is already active in Swindon and Bath & North East Somerset.Yellow severe weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued by…

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Met Office warns of snow and ice for Devon and Cornwall

Met Office warns of snow and ice for Devon and Cornwall

People in the South West have been told to prepare for disruption as the region faces a wave of snow and ice.The Met Office issued the yellow weather warning and said most of Cornwall and parts of north and west Devon should expect wintry showers, and temperatures as low as freezing (0C, 32F) from midday on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday.Drivers are being advised to "amend travel plans if necessary" as ice frozen overnight could make for dangerous…

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Dawlish left ‘heartbroken’ after bird flu confirmed in aviary

Dawlish left ‘heartbroken’ after bird flu confirmed in aviary

GoogleThe town mayor says the black swans and aviary birds were a "cherished symbol of Dawlish"Birds living in a Devon town aviary are set to be humanely culled after testing positive for bird flu, a council has confirmed.Dawlish Town Council said it had been officially notified by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) that several birds in the Dawlish Waterfowl Aviary had tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain H5N1.The council said it was "heartbroken"…

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‘Cold weather preparations’ and ‘police award’

‘Cold weather preparations’ and ‘police award’

Wiltshire PoliceLuke Newton, who works with Wiltshire Police, was shortlisted for a national awardHere is our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.Our pick of local website storiesThe Severe Weather Emergency Protocol has been activated in Swindon as temperatures are set to drop below freezing on Wednesday. It means rough sleepers will be offered accommodation, according to the Swindon Advertiser.The Weston Mercury reports that North Somerset…

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Man dies after altercation in pub courtyard in Ottery St Mary

Man dies after altercation in pub courtyard in Ottery St Mary

Five men have been arrested in connection to the death of a man who died in hospital two weeks after being injured in an altercation outside a pub.Devon and Cornwall Police said it was called to the Kings Arms in Ottery St Mary at about 22:15 GMT on 2 November to reports of an altercation involving a group of people in the courtyard.A local man, 67, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died on 17 November…

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Exeter working to get St James Park ready for Burton game after fire

Exeter working to get St James Park ready for Burton game after fire

Exeter City are working against time to ensure Saturday's League One game against Burton Albion can be played after a fire at their ground.The control room and medical room at St James Park were badly damaged in a fire last week.Cabling from the control room, which is essential to run a game safely, was destroyed and is being replaced on Tuesday. The ground must be approved by the local council's Safety Advisory Group before the game can go…

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