News in Glastonbury

Firefighters from Glastonbury helped tackled a fire in a flat above a shop in Wells High Street in the early hours of this morning (October 9).

Just after 3.45am, occupants of flats above a shop noticed smoke residue and a smell of burning in a communal stairwell, coming from a first floor flat in Wells High Street.

Bright Blue Bags will begin appearing on doorsteps in Glastonbury from Monday (October 12) as the roll-out of a new recycling scheme moves ever closer.

The Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) is preparing to launch Recycle More, which will see more items recycled weekly at the kerbside and refuse collections moving from fortnightly to once every three weeks.

A member of Glastonbury Extinction Rebellion and Friends of the Earth has criticised the local MP for not backing the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill.

Laura Sorensen wrote to MP James Heappey asking him to back the bill put forward by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, but he has responded, declining to back the bill saying it is not required as work is already underway to get the UK to zero emissions.

Mendip's car drivers and businesses are being encouraged by the council to turn their engines off while stationary.

The reminder is to mark Clean Air Day today (October 8), but the council wants every day to be an "engines off" day.

A woman had to be cut free by Glastonbury firefighters from a vehicle following a collision with a tree near Priddy this afternoon (October 7).

Just after 4pm, fire crews from Cheddar and Glastonbury were mobilised to reports of a crash near Stockhill Wood, on Minery Road/Old Bristol Road.

Avon and Somerset Police are renewing their appeal to trace Lawrence Kemp from Glastonbury who has now been missing for more than two months.

Officers are increasingly concerned for the welfare of Lawrence, who was reported missing on Monday night, August 3.

Controversial plans to build six homes on the side of Wearyall Hill in Glastonbury have been turned down by Mendip District Council.

A planning application for the building of six homes at 24 The Roman Way in Glastonbury was submitted by Pierre D'Avoine following the withdrawal of previous plans for the site at the end of last year.

I've had the pleasure of covering local government in Somerset for the last two-and-a-half years since the Local Democracy Reporting Service was created.

'Unprecedented' is a lazy buzzword that often gets thrown around for political capital whenever new funding is announced or a scandal breaks – but it's hard to find a better word to describe the circumstances in which we find ourselves.

Mendip District Council is launching a Plant for Pollinators guide, encouraging people to plan ahead and plant some spring bulbs to help hungry bees and other pollinating insects next year.

Everyone can take part by planting bulbs this autumn, creating "nectar cafes" for the insects when they wake up after the winter.

There are many people who will not read this and change their mind about masks, however this article is for those that are still able to hear, to understand and are interested in the science behind masks.

It was not that long ago that people would be fined for spitting in public places to prevent the spread of tuberculosis, I am unsure if that law has ever been repealed.