somerset

A theatre which is almost 50 years old has secured more than half a million pounds in new funding. Taunton Town Council has said it will pay £105,000 a year for the next five years to the Taunton Brewhouse to secure its future and help with ongoing maintenance and repairs.The council stepped in after Somerset Council, the building's owner, said "it was no longer financially sustainable" to continue funding the venue's repairs.Vickie Robbins, executive director of the theatre…

Strawberry Line Facebook PageThe new bridge in Cheddar has opened up more of the Strawberry LineA new bridge and section of a walking and cycling path has opened in Somerset.The Strawberry Line link, a traffic-free pathway, has been extended from Cheddar reservoir to the Draycott Park estate.The project team said it is the fifth new bridge built on the former Great Western Railway line, which was used for transporting strawberries in the 1960s, in the last three years…

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…

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…

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…