Exeter & East Devon News

Parents and pet owners in Exeter have been warned to stay alert after fresh reports of poison in a popular park.

Improvement work to enhance bus services on Heavitree Road in Exeter will get underway next month (February).

The Supreme Court has struck out a claim that could have led to compensation being paid to the killer of three men in the Exeter area.

Planners have been urged to avoid making the same mistake twice ahead of a vital decision on a major 72-homes scheme in an East Devon town.

An under-pressure village is set to face the prospect of yet more properties as a proposal for 60 homes gets scrutinised next week.

The government has confirmed that Exeter’s 2026 city council elections can be abandoned.

People living near a controversial traffic scheme in Exeter will be asked to give their opinions on four potential solutions.

Police have located the body of a man following the disappearance of two swimmers at Budleigh Salterton Beach on Christmas Day last year.

Exeter City Council’s request for its 2026 local elections to be called off has been officially received by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Whipton Barton Federation is proud to announce that it has been awarded the IQM Inclusive School Award and IQM Centre of Excellence status. This national recognition celebrates the school’s commitment to creating an inclusive, welcoming, and ambitious environment for every child and every family.

A permanent and expanded Community Safety Team is being launched to further reduce anti-social behaviour throughout the city.

Two subject areas at the University of Exeter now feature in the top 100 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject.

Exeter’s Housing Access Together (HAT) scheme is on the lookout for landlords with available homes.

A digger and bulldozer have been put into action to help shift tonnes of shingle on a Devon beach back towards the sea.

A green light from the city council planning committee has cleared the way for the long-awaited restoration of an Exeter landmark.

Designers drawing up a scheme for nearly 300 ‘co-living’ apartments on the site of an Exeter city centre car park have been asked to go back to the drawing board.

A split has emerged over the way forward over the longstanding closure on an Exeter road after residents were targeted with two separate petitions.

A gathering of residents braved soggy conditions to campaign against a potential 700-home development in East Devon.

A new community grant fund has now opened and is scheduled to close on 27 February 2026 at 4pm. Developed with input from the voluntary sector to better meet local needs, the grants will support small community projects across East Devon and community buildings in rural areas.

The Leader of Devon County Council, Councillor Julian Brazil, has written to the secretary of State to “express serious concern regarding the proposal to cancel the May 2026 local elections in Exeter on the grounds of ongoing preparation for Local Government Reorganisation.”

Wales & West Utilities is progressing well with its work in upgrading the gas pipes in the Buddle Lane area of Exeter.

A Devon woman whose dedication has transformed support for local families is to be honoured at the Palace of Westminster this month

Residents and stakeholders have one week left to take part in East Devon District Council’s consultations on two important planning and heritage documents, both of which will help shape the future of the district. The consultations close on Monday 26 January 2026 at 12 noon.

A pair of apartment blocks are being planned for an old gas works in Exmouth.

Parties at opposite ends of the political spectrum have united in Exeter in a bid to overturn a decision to scrap the city’s 2026 council elections

Plans to transform the site of a former Exeter nightclub into a giant block of student flats have been lodged with the city council.

Campaigners against plans for a monster 700-home development in Exmouth are trying to amplify opposition as the deadline for objections nears.

A large unexploded World War Two bomb discovered at Exmouth Marina has been safely removed and taken out to sea, where it is due to be detonated later today, Friday, January 16.

The final highway scheme of major infrastructure improvements in south west Exeter has been delivered and will open next week.

The leader of Exeter City Council has hit back at critics over his decision to request permission to cancel this year’s council elections.

Devon County Council have confirmed that Devon & Cornwall Police have lifted all cordons which had been in place in Exmouth while the operation to dispose of the unexploded Second World War device was under way.

Here is a map of the extended cordon which has been put in place this evening from 9pm in Exmouth.

Residents who still haven’t left the cordon area created after the discovery of an unexploded war-time bomb in Exmouth have been urged to find somewhere else to stay by their local MP.

Emergency services, local councils and other public service partners are continuing to work closely following the discovery of a significant Second World War unexploded device at Exmouth Marina

Emergency services continue to respond to the discovery of a significant unexploded German Second World War device at Exmouth Marina, which was found yesterday during routine dredging operations.

The defendants are jointly charged with the murder of 24-year-old Denva Smith, who died from a single stab wound in May last year. Mr Smith was found in the garden of a property in Ashfield Close on May 31.

The Exmouth community has come together in a remarkable show of support after residents were evacuated yesterday following the discovery of a Second World War unexploded bomb near Exmouth Marina.

A decades-long bid to connect Exeter and Crediton with a cycle trail has taken a major step forward but campaigners have pleaded for quick action.

Police are currently down at Exmouth Marina after a suspected unexploded ordnance was dredged out of the water earlier today

Devon County Council is urging motorists to take extra care at Middlemoor roundabout while traffic signals at the junction remain out of action.

People in Exeter will not get the chance to vote for new councillors this year after the Labour leadership of Exeter City Council decided to ask the government to call off the polls.

Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) in Exeter is to be marked with a day of public and school events reflecting on the theme Bridging Generations.

Plans to back an East Devon nature reserve with a £1.1 million cash injection have been backed again after an initial decision was revisited.

The project to restore a much-loved Exeter landmark to its former glory is expected to clear another hurdle next week.

Almost 300 ‘co-living’ apartments are likely to go up on the site of an Exeter city centre car park despite the plan being described by one objector as a ‘high-rise mess’.

A controversial plan for up to 130 homes in an East Devon town appears to be at the final hurdle before being given the go-ahead.

Anyone who votes by post in Exeter is being asked to renew their postal vote applications. 

Police are appealing for witnesses and information following a serious road traffic collision, which occurred in Honiton at the weekend.

Students at Sidmouth College have been recognised for their strong performances in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge, a national competition designed to stretch and challenge mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills.

East Devon District Council’s Countryside Team has introduced an exciting new accessibility feature at Seaton Wetlands Nature Reserve, further reinforcing its commitment to inclusive outdoor spaces.

An innovative solar farm and battery storage facility in Exeter, which delivers clean energy to the city’s refuse collection vehicles has been shortlisted for yet another big award. 

A Devon MP has blasted as “not good enough” plans to not consider funding for an essential Devon rail update until the next Parliament.

Unanimous opposition emerged at a Devon council against the prospect of elections in Exeter being cancelled this year.

A series of essential road repairs and highway improvements are due to be carried out on the A3015 Rydon Lane in Exeter in the coming weeks.

The historic Exeter Cathedral School has taken the extremely difficult decision to close the Prep part of the school (years 3-8), ending almost 850 years of schooling at the Cathedral.

A debate will now be held over whether to postpone Exeter’s planned elections in May as pressure grows for the poll to occur.

A grumble over gritting has emerged in Devon’s newest town, with claims that more needs to be done to help its residents.

Pupils from Cranbrook Education Campus (CEC) rolled up their sleeves to plant more than 90 trees across the school grounds this term.

Topsham’s history takes centre stage with the unveiling of new heritage boards and a Maritime Trail—an exciting project that’s earned the support of the Earl of Devon.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has secured £18million in national funding to expand the Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) at the Nightingale Hospital Exeter. This investment means patients will have quicker and easier access to important tests and scans, helping to reduce waiting times and improving patient care.

People are being warned to watch out for a parking scam doing the rounds. It comes after a motorist was targeted after parking in an Exeter City Council car park.

Cranbrook will now see a Saturday night bus service come into effect this weekend, helping people get home from the city until 4am.

Whipton Barton Federation has been awarded the Primary Science Quality Mark (PSQM), a national accolade awarded for exceptional science teaching and strong subject leadership.

Footage has emerged of an unexpected stop on Santa’s busy Christmas delivery round.

A bid has been launched to secure a commemorative Blue Plaque on a building in an East Devon town that was used to house Second World War evacuees.

A new competition aimed at promoting responsible dog ownership and protecting green spaces has been launched, encouraging dog owners to bag it and bin it wherever they are walking.

Pressure is mounting on Exeter ahead of a deadline linked to whether the city will seek to postpone its elections.

People living near the site of a proposed giant block of student flats in Exeter say it will be ‘overbearing’ and boring to look at.

A factory on an Exeter industrial estate could get a new lease of life in 2026 as the home of a successful local church.

Critics of a decision to set up a £1 million fund for a vital Devon nature reserve have forced a Devon council to reconsider the move.

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.