Exeter & East Devon News

Members of the Exeter City Council planning committee voted unanimously to reject a plan from developer Waddeton Park for 65 homes off Nadder Park Road after hearing how the new homes would be visible right across the city.

East Devon District Council is carrying out essential tree works at Manor Gardens in Exmouth, following confirmation that a large Turkey Oak tree in the grounds has died and now poses a safety risk. 

The region’s Careers Hub will lead work to test the new “equalex” model that gives young people multiple, high-quality experiences with employers totalling 10 days across their secondary education.

East Devon District Council is inviting residents, community groups, and stakeholders to take part in the final stage of consultation on the new East Devon Local Plan – the blueprint for where new homes, jobs and supporting infrastructure will go across the district over the coming years. 

Devon & Cornwall Police are appealing to the public for assistance in locating 40-year-old Damien Clay from Exeter. Officers are keen to locate and speak to Clay in connection to a number of shoplifting reports around Exeter.

Toddlers in tinsel and trail runners in Santa hats joined forces to raise funds for Hospiscare yesterday at the charity’s first ever festive Jingle Jog and they raised over £20,000

Devon & Cornwall Police took part in the national Sceptre knife safety campaign last week.. It ran from Monday 17 to Sunday 24 November 2025 and is part of the wider national strategy to remove dangerous weapons from the streets and keep communities safe. 

Help shape how East Devon’s heritage is preserved in the years up until 2042, by taking part in the district council's consultation on a new Heritage Strategy

Exeter City Council and Plymouth City Council have joined forces to submit a single, shared proposal to Government for local government reorganisation (LGR) in Devon.

A popular Devon beach that secured an internationally recognised award for the first time this year looks set to lose the accolade in 2026.

A plea for creativity has emerged as residents have scrutinised an updated proposal aimed at improving Exmouth town centre.

Police officers will be policing a protest in support of Palestine outside Central Station, Queen Street, Exeter, on Saturday 29 November.

Trading standards and police have closed yet another business for selling illegal tobacco – despite repeated warnings and dramatic attempts to escape with contraband.

Police are appealing for witnesses and information following a serious road traffic collision which took place last night [Wednesday 26 November] on Exeter Road, (the old A30) in Gittisham, Honiton.

A million-pound bridge that should have connected Exeter businesses while getting rid of a dangerous bottleneck has been shelved.

Police were called shortly before 2.30pm on Wednesday 26 November following a report of a collision involving a white Ford Transit panel van, on the A375 at Sidbury. Sadly a man has died following the collision.

A business case for reshaped and reimagined local services has been given the green light for submission to the government by members of East Devon District Council.

Residents applying for financial help from a Devon council’s hardship fund are most likely to need help buying food, it has been revealed.

A potential expansion of an Exmouth business park could have an extra entrance after an intervention by planners.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a serious injury road traffic collision in Beer.

University of Exeter research has ranked among the world’s best in a recently published league table.

East Devon District Council has announced the launch of its Tree Champion scheme, a new initiative designed to mobilise community volunteers in identifying land suitable for tree planting across the district.

Fears over the capacity of East Devon’s sewerage system dominated public concerns amid scrutiny of the blueprint for new housing in the district.

Developers are likely to get the go-ahead next week to build 54 houses on an old golf driving range in Topsham – but they will have to pledge tens of thousands of pounds to local health services and make 19 of the homes ‘affordable’.

Police have received a report on the 25th of November 2025 in relation to 3 stolen Motorcross bikes from an address in Honiton.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) has issued a formal response to the Marine Management Organisation’s consultation on proposed changes to the legal framework governing the Port of Exeter as put forward by Exeter City Council. These represent a major update to regulations dating back to the 1800s. The consultation closed on 23 November 2025.

The company behind a popular Devon nightspot says it has been ‘exonerated’ over an incident in which a teenage university student collapsed and fell down stairs during a Freshers Week night out.

A new political group is putting forward its first-ever candidate in an upcoming by-election in East Devon

Plans to build homes in green fields on the skyline overlooking Exeter could get short shrift from city council planners.

The local policing team in Exeter took part in a national week of action in a bid to tackle business crime earlier this month.

A campaign to close a potential children’s safeguarding legal loophole has been sparked in the wake of a controversial event held at Exeter Library.

An Exmouth pub has been given permission to extend its beer garden on its second attempt to make the change.

More than 80 trees of differing species are being planted across Exeter over the coming weeks, underpinning the City Council’s commitment to the environment.

The University of Exeter is among the top four higher education institutions in the world for the way it prioritises the health and wellbeing of its students and our broader society.

The Leader of Exeter City Council has issued a statement supporting Exeter’s diverse communities and opposing those seeking to create division in the city.

The dimming and switch-off times of Exeter’s street lights could be revisited at the end of a county-wide trial after pressure from city politicians.

After receiving strong backing from local residents, a new Neighbourhood Plan for Bishops Clyst has been formally adopted by East Devon District Council.

The Devon Diagnostic Centre is celebrating reaching a major milestone recently, with over 200,000 patients having now received a diagnostic test there.

Exeter residents are being urged to take part in the council’s annual budget consultation.

Thousands more homes in Exeter are set to get weekly food waste collections, as the roll-out continues.

People are being encouraged to get involved in 16 Days of Action, a campaign to raise awareness and end gender-based violence.

The future of a beach sauna in a Devon village remains uncertain after a heated planning debate about flood risk.

At its Full Council meeting this week, Exmouth Town Council discussed Exeter City Council’s Harbour Revision Order (HRO) consultation.

A new Culture Strategy is being developed to help Exeter’s cultural and creative landscape to thrive – and your views are needed to help shape it. 

A regionally important bat roost could be among the reasons a proposed development of nine homes in East Devon fails to get the go-ahead.

Four candidates will be vying for a seat on East Devon District council in a by-election scheduled for next month.

A crucial and long-awaited study that predicts the extra sewerage capacity needed to cope with housing growth in one of Devon’s districts shows the firm has “quite a lot to prove”.

A mother and son have been sentenced for running a drug dealing operation at their home in Exeter.

The owners of a nightclub which has become an Exeter ‘institution’ over the last 50 years have been urged to do more to protect new university students.

A man has died in hospital following an altercation which took place in Ottery St Mary on 2 November. Detectives are investigating the incident and appealing for any relevant information to be reported to the police.

Police are investigating a fatal road traffic collision near Sidmouth, which involved a car and a pedestrian on Monday and are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service were called to a major blaze at a disused police station in Exeter at 7:38pm this evening, after multiple reports of smoke issuing from the derelict building.

If you can spare two hours per month to support your local NHS and patients in Devon, they would love to hear from you.

Blue Islands Ltd has announced that it has suspended trading effective today - 14 November 2025, resulting in the immediate cancellation of all future flights, including services to and from Exeter Airport.

Pecorama, one of East Devon’s most cherished family attractions and home of the iconic Beer Heights Railway, has announced it will not reopen for the 2026 season.

More than 80 per cent of residents are satisfied with where they live in Exeter, according to the Residents’ Survey 2025.

Great grandmother Dorrie Pack, aged 98, is cycling 25 miles on a static bike to raise money for Hospiscare – making her the oldest person to take on a fundraising challenge for the charity.

South West Water has boosted the resilience of its wastewater network in Exmouth with a new 1.4km sewer that will help protect the town’s coastline and communities for years to come.

Ottery St Mary Town Council is pleased to announce the installation of three new electric vehicle (EV) chargers at the Station Community Hub, Mill Street.

A mural created by local school children from St Nicholas Primary School, in Exeter, has been unveiled at Honiton Road Park and Ride to celebrate the completion of recent improvements of the site.

The cause of the fire at St James Park which damaged a small area of the stadium is currently under investigation.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a fatal road traffic collision in Budleigh Salterton on Wednesday 12 November.

A major fire broke out at Exeter City Football Club’s St James Park late on Wednesday night, with dramatic footage showing flames tearing through a building

Scientists at the University of Exeter have been ranked among the most influential and respected in the world according to the latest edition of a global rankings programme.

Detectives are seeking witnesses and video footage after a man was seriously assaulted in Ottery St Mary on Thursday 6 November.

Officers investigating a collision near Honiton, which occurred in May 2024, are appealing for information about a gold SUV which may have been in the area.

Exeter has a vital role to play in Devon’s forthcoming devolution deal despite being in the ‘second tier’ of councils involved.

Supporters across the heart of Devon opened their gardens to raise vital funds for hospice charity amidst funding deficit. 55 gardens opened during 2024 in support of Hospiscare, the local hospice charity for Exeter, Central and East Devon.