South Devon News
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Torbay Hospital opens first phase of £14.2m Emergency Department upgrade
People needing urgent and life-saving and urgent care are now being treated in the first phase of Torbay Hospital’s £14.2million Emergency Department redevelopment – a major step towards improving patient experience and reducing waiting times.
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Man given landmark Modern Slavery Act order to protect children from harm
A 22 year old man has been given a civil order under the Modern Slavery Act to protect children from potential harm and prevent them being coerced into committing crime.
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Police test motorists during Torquay Operation Limit drink drive checks
The Torquay Neighbourhood Police Team ran seasonal Operation Limit drink drive checks on Torbay Road, Torquay last weekend and more than 200 vehicles passed through the check point.
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CQC takes action to protect people using Paignton homecare service
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has downgraded the rating of Burrow Down Community Support in Paignton, Devon from good to inadequate and placed it into special measures to protect people following an inspection in July and August.
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Free Breakfasts at Torquay Library
Torquay Library is welcoming the community with a new initiative offering free breakfasts on Friday mornings over the Winter.
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‘Flogging off’ Torbay assets could raise significant cash
Putting some of Torbay’s assets up for sale will help safeguard the rest for the future, councillors have been told.
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Health chiefs urged not to break up successful Torbay partnership
Health chiefs in Torbay have been urged to think again before pulling the plug on a successful partnership with the bay’s council.
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Brixham community group’s hopes dashed
Campaigners fighting to secure the use of a former Brixham church as a food bank and ‘safe space’ have had their hopes dashed.
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Anger at ‘morally indefensible’ Torbay memorial bench charges
Torbay Council has been accused of exploiting the grief of bereaved families for financial gain after hiking the price of memorial benches around the bay.
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Torbay welcomes ‘good’ rating for adult social care
Partners caring for vulnerable adults in Torbay have welcomed a watchdog report rating services as ‘good’. The Care Quality Commission says despite some shortfalls, adult social care in the bay performs strongly in key areas. Standards remain reassuring.
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Scale of Oldway roof repairs revealed
The massive scale of repairs required to restore Paignton’s historic Oldway Mansion is revealed in a new planning application.
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Tip-trip tourism could cut fly-tipping in Torbay
Torbay Council is being urged to link up with neighbouring authorities to help cut the cost of tip-trip miles for local families.
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Thirty Torquay projects will share government millions
Projects designed to revitalise some of Torquay’s most deprived communities could start to see government money in their bank accounts as early as April next year.
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Torbay Police visit hotels to tackle child exploitation through increased awareness
Recently officers from the Torquay Neighbourhood Team with support from Police Cadets conducted an evening of action around child exploitation, known as Op Makesafe.
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Torbay’s robots are programmed for hedgehog safety
Robot lawnmowers roaming grassed areas in Torbay are timing their trims to keep hedgehogs safe.
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Torbay harbour staff get extra training after ‘spy’ report
Staff working in Torbay’s harbours are to be given extra training amid reports that a Russian spy came ashore at Torquay on a mission to snoop on Ukrainian troops.
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2025 English Riviera Airshow made £33,000 loss
Torbay’s record-breaking 2025 airshow made a loss of just over £33,000.
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Developers eye Brixham fields for homes and hotel
Developers are preparing proposals for a hotel, a care home and 175 houses in fields on the outskirts of Brixham.
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Call for Torbay memorial bench price hike review
Torbay Council is being urged to think again over a controversial hike in the price of memorial benches in the bay.
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Driving Paignton’s Future: Torbay Place Leadership Board Sets Regeneration Agenda
The Torbay Place Leadership Board will come together on Monday 15 December, uniting local leaders and community representatives to shape discussions on Paignton’s future and the wider regeneration of Torbay.
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‘Redundant’ toilets included in Torbay asset sell-off
For sale – five public toilets (slightly used), a graffiti-covered beach cafe, a derelict schoolroom and a disused former icehouse.
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Torbay Council to maintain and protect cherished green spaces previously leased to the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust
Torbay Council have been advised that the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust (TCCT) will formally enter liquidation this week.
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Paignton Zoo Futures Secured
Wild Planet Trust announced at the beginning of Autumn that it was seeking investment to secure the future of both Paignton and Newquay Zoo's. They have announced that Libéma, a Dutch leisure company, will officially be taking ownership of both zoos as of 1 January 2026.
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New Warm Spaces scheme launched for Torbay
A new Warm Spaces scheme has been launched with sites across Torbay to help local people to have a place to keep warm during the winter months.
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Paignton businesses shut and road closed amid safety fears
A Paignton town centre road which has been partly closed for more than a week amid fears for the safety of shoppers could be open again soon.
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Go-ahead for ‘excellent’ Paignton town centre homes
New homes on the site of Paignton’s former Crossways shopping centre will give a run-down part of the town centre a ‘shot in the arm’.
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Russian ‘spy’ landing at Torquay sparks MP’s security call
Torbay’s MP has called for a review of security after it was reported that a Russian spy had come ashore from a ship in Torquay on a mission to snoop on Ukrainian soldiers.
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Paignton YMCA moves into former Mormon chapel
Paignton’s YMCA is on the move to a new home in the town..
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Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity Christmas Appeal 2025: bringing comfort and joy to people in hospital
This Christmas, Torbay and South Devon NHS Charity is working to ensure that every patient spending Christmas Day in hospital receives a gift—a simple gesture that brings comfort, joy, and a sense of connection at a time when it’s needed most.
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First 'Hotels to Homes' scheme for social rent ready for local households in time for Christmas
Some of the first new council housing delivered directly by Torbay Council in a generation is now ready for local people to move in to before Christmas.
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New life for ‘brutalist’ Torquay building with dark history
A derelict ‘brutalist’ office block in the centre of Torquay where a gunman killed three people before taking his own life 50 years ago could finally be turned into flats.
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Hubs snubbed in Torquay’s main street
Torbay has joined the list of councils around the country to say no to more ‘hubs’ and information screens on its streets.
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Torquay man jailed after family man killed in collision
Toby Carter, 23, of Babbacombe Rd, previously pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving at Exeter Crown Court in October. Yesterday he was sentenced to three years &four months in prison disqualified from driving for five years upon release.
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Torbay Council Offers Community Opportunity to Acquire Old Monastery, Paignton
Torbay Council has announced a proposal to support community-led regeneration by offering the Old Monastery, Berry Drive, Paignton, for acquisition by residents at a nominal sum of £1.
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Torbay residents invited to have their say on annual spending plans
In publishing the budget proposals for the next financial year, Cabinet’s approach follows the same fundamentals as last year, focusing on the ongoing & estimated revenue pressure, delivering against financial sustainability & the Capital Investment Plan.
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Brixham ‘vision’ includes new bridge across the harbour
A new bridge across Brixham harbour is one of the ideas contained in an ambitious new ‘vision’ for the port being unveiled this week. Torbay Council has produced a series of ‘visions’ for its three towns, and Brixham’s is the latest to come up for scrutiny.


