News in Radstock

People living in the Paulton area are being urged to book themselves in for a coronavirus test at a new temporary mobile testing unit if they are experiencing any symptoms of the virus.

A temporary mobile testing unit will be set up at Paulton Rovers Football ground from Friday January 15. The MTU will be in addition to one at Odd Down P&R and the walk-in Local Testing Site at Carpenter House in Bath.

People are being given more time to have their say on proposals to permanently strengthen and improve on-street security within Bath's busiest streets.

The deadline for the Bath & North East Somerset Council's proposed security improvements has been extended until 31 January.

The date of when the Walnut Buildings will be demolished in Radstock has yet to be set.

Meantime we asked Curo company to take some photos of the views from the top floor as part of posterity.

The Mayor writes:

Walking briskly along the frosted paths in the early part of a Somerset morning is one of the more pleasurable pursuits and one that gives time for reflection.

Local law firm Thatcher + Hallam has welcomed a new Head of Communications to the team. Nicola Cretney, who joins the team based at Island House in Midsomer Norton, has worked in marketing and communications roles with a wide variety of organisations, including those in the e-commerce, hospitality and medical fields.

Nicola said, "It's an exciting time to be joining the team at Thatcher + Hallam. Not only are they a thriving organisation in terms of the legal support they offer but they are very supportive of the local communities within which they work, working alongside a range of organisations, including Radstock Museum and local sports clubs and charities. I am really looking forward to being a part of the team, but also getting to know more about these organisations and helping to share their stories too."

Local elections are still due to take place in May, but the government will keep the matter under review, according to the Cabinet Office.

Rumours have been circulating that mayoral and local authority elections could be postponed for a second year in a row because of the coronavirus pandemic.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic last March in the UK, nobody knew how long it would last. Local community groups, organisations and faith networks were challenged to think of new ways to 'reach out' and support those living in their neighbourhoods.

When we first began at Nub News everyone told us to 'talk to Dennis' , or 'Dennis will know the answer'. Indeed we were very much looking forward to catching up with the founding member of the award-winning local museum, but then, as historians are often quoted as saying, events overtook us.

But we still wanted to interview the sprightly Dennis Chedgy, so with a third coronavirus lockdown upon us, we posted questions to this Writhlington resident and he was kind enough to post some answers back.

Critical planning issues facing Bath and North East Somerset are set to be tackled in a partial update of the Local Plan and residents are invited to have their say in an online consultation.

The Local Plan is the basis for determining planning applications in the district and decides how sites are allocated for development. It is also vital in helping Bath & North East Somerset Council meet its climate and ecological emergency goals.

A former religious hub in the centre of Bath is set to become England's "largest independent bookshop to open in decades".

Topping & Company Booksellers has secured permission to convert the grade II-listed Friends Meeting House in York Street, which was used by Quakers from 1866 until 2019.