Local News from Friday, July 17th, 2026

A £20 million initiative to strengthen communities in Exeter has taken a major step forward with the appointment of an independent Chair.

A derelict hotel overlooking one of Devon’s busiest resort beaches is to be transformed into a modern ‘aparthotel’ with a spa, a coffee house, a café/bar and a roof terrace.

Local MPs have welcomed the government’s decision to abandon plans to no longer offer an hourly reimbursement to coastguard rescue officers (CROs).

Devon County Council are backing the national Best Start in Life campaign, with a focus on children who will start school in September 2027. This includes children currently aged three to four, who are about to begin their final year in nursery or pre-school. 

Statistics have revealed that Exeter residents living in the city's most deprived neighbourhoods can expect to live nearly 17 years less than those in its wealthiest areas.

The hot weather in the South West is continuing to have an impact on the number of people presenting at the Royal Devon Emergency Departments with heat related conditions.

Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez says significant efforts are being made to tackle antisocial behaviour after reports of rising issues in towns across the region.

Children at a Devon primary school who say their classmates are getting sick after swimming in pollution have taken aim at South West Water.