News from across the Council

Somerset Council and its waste collections contractor, SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, are asking residents to help keep their crews safe. The plea comes following a spate of kitchen knives being found in the bright blue bag for recycling. In…

Somerset Council is undertaking a formal review into the local government and electoral arrangements for Langport and Huish Episcopi. The Community Governance Review (CGR) has been triggered following a valid petition from people living in both existing local council areas,…

The Somerset Corporate Parenting Board has unveiled its new strategy, co-written with children in care and care leavers. This strategy outlines Somerset Council’s guidelines and aims to ensure that children and young people in care are nurtured to grow and…

Unpaid carers in Somerset are invited to join Somerset Council, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust and Community Council for Somerset (CCS) for a series of drop-in sessions throughout 2025. The first of the series is set to take place on Monday…

More than 50 tonnes of plastic bags and wrapping has so far been recycled in Somerset Council’s trial collections. Somerset is 1 of 10 councils taking part in the national, Government-backed FlexCollect trial and the latest figures show that 51…

Somerset Council is urging visitors to Ham Hill to tread carefully and keep pets on leads when exploring the popular plateau fields at the south end of the site, to protect endangered and vulnerable ground-nesting skylarks. As we enter the…

Two consultations linked to dog controls in the south Somerset area have been launched by Somerset Council and are now live for public feedback. The Council is proposing to extend two existing orders; the first relates to a dog exclusion…

Cyclists and pedestrians are being urged by Somerset Council to be considerate and give each other space on multi-use paths in the county. The Council is reminding cyclists, pedestrians, horse riders and other users of shared paths across the county…

Somerset Council is introducing wide-ranging support and improvements to bus services across the county following confirmation of a new £6 million tranche of Government funding for 2025/26. Initiatives under Somerset’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) will incorporate improved services for…

All 16 of Somerset Council’s recycling sites will soon revert to their spring/summer opening schedule. From Tuesday, 1 April 2025, sites will be open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 4pm at the weekend. Opening days…

March is prostate cancer awareness month and thanks to this recent initiative, over 100 prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests have been conducted at various highways depots and at County Hall in Taunton. Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of…

A “Celebrating Care Leavers – Making A Difference Together” conference was held at Canalside in Bridgwater last Wednesday (12 March 2025), to shine a light on the support and opportunities available to young people leaving care in Somerset. The event…

Somerset Council is introducing an innovative new system in Taunton to give buses priority at traffic lights and encourage more people to bus it to town. Work starts on 24 March on signals along East Reach to install the new…

Taunton’s main library in Paul Street will be closed for 2 days next month while Somerset Council carries out important upgrades. The library, and The Glass Box innovation space, will close their doors on Wednesday and Thursday 9 and 10…

Somerset Council will be resurfacing one of the county’s key roads next week. Work on the B3224 Church Hill in Exford will be done across 5 days from Monday 24 March to Friday 28 March inclusive. Following initial work under…

Somerset Council and its highways contractor Kier held a competition for local schools to name 2 new road gritters which have joined the fleet. Around 30 names were submitted, 6 names were short-listed and Brymore Academy’s ‘Gritty Gritty Bang Bang’…

Somerset County has published major new plans for safe cycling and walking routes in the county’s towns to help create greener, healthier and more active streets. The Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Wellington, Chard, Burnham and Highbridge…

A new Re-use Shop in Glastonbury has opened and will continue with help from Somerset Council and SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK’s Waste Not Somerset Fund. The shop is run by a small group of brilliant local volunteers and opened…

Two Somerset Council Active Travel schemes – pedestrian and cycling – in Yeovil town centre are nearing completion. The final stage of works to upgrade pedestrian crossings, traffic signals and improve cycling and walking routes is due to start from…

Somerset Council’s Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) is now active in Somerset. During this period of severe weather, the Council is seeking to provide emergency accommodation for rough sleepers to prevent harm or death due to the severe weather. The…