Local News

Exeter Respect Festival is set to bring entertainment and education to Belmont Park from 6–7 June as it returns for its 29th year.

Keep Britain Tidy launches hunt for new Litter Heroes Ambassadors as successful programme is set to expand.

An independent review has praised Devon County Council for major improvements in its culture and leadership.

This year marks 20 years of Bikeability cycle training in Devon, and it’s a double celebration as Devon County Council has been awarded just over £1.3 million from Active Travel England to continue delivering the training over the next three years.

It’s the start of a month-long celebration of arts, culture and creativity, as June Boom brings an exciting programme of events to venues across the city.

People living on an Exeter housing development where sewer works have been left unfinished are facing a bill of around half a million pounds.

A furore over sex toys being laid out on a stall during a ‘family-friendly’ public event at Exeter Library has spilled over into the council chamber at County Hall.

A Dartmoor youth hostel which has been providing rooms for nearly 100 years is to close at the end of June.

Exmouth RNLI supporter and superfan, Ivie Simkiss-Cowtan, aged 8, has been running every day in May as part of the RNLI’s Mayday Mile challenge. Today, she ran an extra special mile with Exmouth RNLI volunteer crew members, exactly 5 years after she first completed a mayday mile, aged only three!

It’s 50 years since one of the region’s most loved long-distance walking trails, the Two Moors Way, was first launched. The outstanding trail links the South West’s two National Parks, Exmoor and Dartmoor.

Empty shops in the centre of Exeter could be put back into use as part of a project to make the city centre more ‘animated’.

More and more children in Exeter are being drawn into crime, putting their own futures in jeopardy, according to the city’s MP.

Students and staff at Sidmouth College are celebrating after the school was found to have met the ‘expected standard’ across all areas following a visit from Ofsted, with inspectors highlighting positive relationships, an ambitious curriculum and strong foundations for learning.

Sites across the centre of Exeter are set to be used to showcase work by international artists which reimagines how people can respond to current social, ecological and technological crises.

To ensure the voices of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly residents are heard on proposed police force mergers across England and Wales, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has launched her own survey. 

Cold callers may be operating in East Devon and surrounding areas. They are claiming to be working on behalf of Exeter City Council who have asked them to cut back vegetation that’s ‘a danger’. They may start work without the homeowner’s consent before asking for money.

A new community building and GP surgery for South West Exeter is progressing towards completion, with the finishing touches now being applied to the roof.

The number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on Devon and Cornwall’s roads has dropped to the lowest ever level in recent reporting history, new figures reveal.

Two councillors with strong community roots have been appointed to lead Devon County Council’s civic duties for the coming year.

Drivers in Exeter are paying more for their petrol than those elsewhere in the South West, according to one local MP.

Business-minded students at the Deaf Academy in Exmouth have won a regional award for enterprise and praise from HRH The Princess Royal after publishing their own accessible comic book that includes British Sign Language (BSL).

The Royal Devon Healthcare Trust know carers play a vital role in supporting patients across acute and community settings. As they develop their Family, Friends and Carers strategy, they are inviting carers to get involved in one of two ways;

The Pothole Posse volunteers in Sidmouth have reached their 500th pothole repair. The honour of 500th repair went to the holes outside The Beacon Medical centre

A new talking compacting bin has been installed in a layby near Upottery, and will be monitored as a trial, with the aim of rolling out further bins in the future.

A new, more open approach to recruiting foster carers in Devon is beginning to make a difference, with more people coming forward to find out about how they could change a child’s life.

The Red Arrows will swoop over Torbay at the weekend flying just seven of their trademark scarlet Hawk aircraft instead of the traditional ‘Diamond Nine’. The Royal Air Force’s elite aerobatic team will fly with fewer aircraft for almost all of their 2026 displays in an effort to preserve their ageing machinery.

The grants offer up to £350 per project from a total citywide budget of £39,000. Each ward has £3,000 available to support local community initiatives until April 2027.

Footballers from across Exeter’s diverse range of communities will come together next month for an annual five-a-side tournament in support of ‘Kick Racism Out of Football’.

The UK Health Security Agency has raised its South West heat-health alert from yellow to amber, warning high temperatures pose a greater risk to vulnerable people and urging health and social care services to prepare as conditions continue to heat up.

The Teignbridge Local Plan 2020-2040 has been formally adopted by councillors at Teignbridge District Council’s annual meeting. The plan sets out planning policy and allocates land for development across Teignbridge, outside Dartmoor National Park.

Last week, Devon & Cornwall Police supported national ‘Sceptre’ knife awareness campaign, engaging with knife retailers to check knives are not being sold illegally and with the public around the risks of carrying knives.

Cllr Gemma Rolstone has become Exeter’s new Lord Mayor, with Cllr Lucy Haigh appointed Deputy Lord Mayor. During her year in office, Cllr Rolstone will raise funds for Baby Bank Network Exeter, supporting families facing financial and emotional hardship

The English Riviera Airshow returns to Paignton seafront this weekend (Friday 29, Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 May), with tens of thousands of visitors expected to flock to Torbay for one of the region’s most spectacular weekends of the year.

Donna Manson, Chief Executive of Devon County Council, visited Isca Academy in Exeter to meet students and staff. Guided by student leaders, she toured the school and spoke with Year 11 pupils about their studies and exam preparations.

Sidmouth College’s Student Council welcomed local MP Richard Foord for a Q&A session. The Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton and Sidmouth spent an hour discussing issues affecting young people and the wider community with council members attending during half term.

Year 6 pupil Polly from Exwick Heights Primary School raised £768 for Devon Wildlife Trust by completing her first triathlon. An Earth Councillor at the school, she took on a swim, cycle and run challenge, more than doubling her fundraising target.

“Ofsted says Devon County Council is making progress in improving children’s services. Inspectors praised major service changes and the appointment of more permanent leaders and managers, bringing greater workforce stability.”

The battle lines around a possible monster site that could accommodate up to 700 homes in Exmouth are emerging as objectors believe early proposals are in “direct conflict” with policies.

A new talking 570-litre capacity compacting bin has been installed in a layby near Upottery, and will be monitored as a trial, with the aim of rolling out further bins in the future.

An Exeter fraudster has been jailed for six & a half years for swindled four victims out of more than half a million pounds of savings, pensions and inheritance – most of which he spent on gambling.

Police drones were launched over Teignmouth during an operation to deter anti-social behaviour following reports of nuisance incidents on the water and near the quayside. 

It’s 10 years since Devon County Council rolled out its community road warden scheme across the county, and to mark the milestone, councillors have issued a rallying cry for new recruits to come forward.

A deeply heartfelt celebration took place on Tuesday 19th May at Rowcroft Hospice, as Keiandra Foote and Jeff Coombs were married surrounded by close family, friends and the hospice team who helped make the day possible.

Updated designs for the proposed Cranbrook Leisure and Wellbeing Centre are now available. Residents can explore the latest proposals, see how feedback from the recent public survey shaped the plans, and share their views.

Organisers of the Devon County Show were delighted to welcome Her Royal Highness Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, to the 2026 Devon County Show at Westpoint, Exeter today, Thursday 21 May.

Five beaches in Teignbridge have been recognised for their quality in the prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2026.

Concerns over rural areas and hard-to-reach communities missing out on broadband connectivity are to be raised with government.

A Devon local authority has been described as ‘institutionally misogynist’ by a councillor who says she has suffered years of bullying and harassment.

Exeter’s MP has urged entertainment giant Mecca to think again over plans to close its bingo hall in the city.

Libraries will not have their hours cut or be reorganised into area groups after a decision off the back of a major consultation that was cheered by library backers.

A number of roads around Paignton seafront will be closed to allow emergency services to  get to and from areas packed with crowds enjoying the three-day English Riviera Airshow.

Citizens Advice Exeter has marked its 80th anniversary with a reception celebrating eight decades of providing free, confidential and independent advice to city residents.

Exmouth Community College (ECC) welcomed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) into school this term to deliver a series of ‘Water Smart’ assemblies for students, helping them develop essential knowledge to stay safe around water

Residents and visitors are being reminded to plan for their healthcare needs ahead of the upcoming bank holiday and half term holidays.

Ottery St Mary Town Council is reminding local businesses that there is still time to apply for the 2026 Shop Front Fund scheme, with the deadline fast approaching on 31 May 2026.

Exeter’s first City Nature Challenge has been hailed a success, with more than 1,500 observations of 507 species recorded.

Independent councillor Robert Steemson has been chosen to serve a second term as the chair of Teignbridge Council.

Officers were called at approximately 1.30pm to Newton Road on Monday 18 May to reports of a collision involving a red Volkswagen Tiguan and a white Yamaha XT660 motorcycle.

Police are currently searching for a 16-year-old girl who has been reported missing from Crediton.

Residents are being asked to give their views in consultations on two important new strategies for Exeter.

Developers have been given the go-ahead for the final piece in a jigsaw of new housing on the outskirts of Exeter.

Experts from the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Exeter have been awarded £125,000 to lead national research into robotic hernia surgery.

The housebuilder behind a controversial plan for up to 140 homes that was rejected this month is mulling what its next move might be.

The historic seaside town of Dawlish is celebrating 180 years of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s world famous coastal railway, with the re-launch of ‘The Brunel Trail’.

Foster carers working with Devon County Council are receiving support towards their council tax, as part of a wider package recognising the vital role they play in caring for some of the county’s most vulnerable children.

Residents in a Devon village are at their wit’s end over repeated damage to garden walls being caused by lorries.

Devon’s Reform UK leader has issued a bid to launch a multi-party ‘shadow cabinet’ to “try something radically different”.

Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy have announced the winners of the prestigious Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for summer 2026, and among them are four sites in East Devon

Agatha Christie’s iconic Devon holiday home will welcome writers from across the globe this autumn as part of an exciting new residency programme from Exeter UNESCO City of Literature.

Devon County Councils annual Parents Childcare Survey is now live and they are inviting parents and carers across Devon to give them their views on how they use childcare.

The first appearance by the Red Arrows in the UK this year will be an early highlight of the 2026 English Riviera Airshow.

Those of us who live or work in Exeter are going to see some major changes to the city we love in the coming years.

A Devon councillor has been expelled from a second political party as a dispute over the reasons and process erupts.

Nurses, therapists, doctors and healthcare support workers from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (RD&E) will join thousands of runners at the Great West Run on Sunday, May 24 to raise funds to enhance care for patients living with dementia.

Devon & Cornwall Police has received funding from The Road Safety Trust to support an important new research project focused on improving driver safety.

In recent months, aviation fuel prices have more than doubled, rising from around 74p per litre in early March to approximately £1.60 per litre. Based on these increases, they estimate their annual aviation fuel costs could surge from around £177,000 in 2025 to approximately £384,000 this year, an increase of more than £200,000.

The safety of elected members will be a key theme for East Devon’s re-elected leader after a “few ugly moments” in the past few months.

A child sex offender groomed and arranged to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old child despite being subject to court orders in relation to similar offending.

Exeter celebrates 70 years of links with the French city of Rennes later this month.

Social darts pioneer Flight Club, which calls itself the home of ‘unexpected, ridiculous joy’, is coming to Exeter.

Students at Exmouth Community College (ECC) experienced an inspiring and creative day of literary engagement when BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and Stonewall Book Award-winning author Dean Atta visited the school this term. The visit brought together Year 10 students alongside Year 12 and Year 13 English Literature and English Language students, offering them the opportunity to engage directly with one of the UK’s most celebrated contemporary writers.

Devon County Council has published a major new strategy designed to help nature and wildlife recover across Devon.

Officers are growing increasingly concerned for the welfare of a 55-year-old man who has been reported missing from Exeter.

Torbay’s ‘over-reaction’ in pulling out of the worldwide Blue Flag beach award scheme could cause lasting damage to its tourism industry, it has been claimed.

Devon looks set to be able to secure more nurses as part of a national apprenticeship initiative aimed at bolstering their ranks.

Police are appealing for witnesses and footage following a serious injury collision on the A377 near Exeter.

Two projects led by the University of Exeter have been awarded grants by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

Every year, thousands of families across the UK are affected by road traffic collisions. In those critical moments after a crash – the first recognition of injury, the first person to call for help, and the first clinical decisions – outcomes can be shaped in minutes, or even seconds.

The screening forms part of a growing UK-wide programme of events designed to help ensure that both the public and decision-makers are clearly and honestly informed about the climate and nature crisis – and what it may mean for communities across the country.

Nine new councillors have been welcomed on to Exeter City Council following last week’s elections.

People are being told not to be concerned about the appearance of white webbing in trees in an Exeter park, caused by an infestation of caterpillars.

Across the UK, hundreds of foster carers open their homes to provide love, stability, and care to children and young people in need. But many more foster carers are urgently needed to ensure every child can be matched with the right home for their individual needs.

Campaigners battling to keep Devon’s library service from being reorganised with reduced opening hours could be victorious as a crunch decision over their future approaches.

Gypsy and Traveller communities are being let down by councils that fail to provide the right facilities for them, it has been claimed.