Local News

Inaugural Plymouth boating festival makes a splash

Glorious sunshine and a packed schedule of maritime fun helped make the inaugural Plymouth Boat Fest a huge success, as thousands of visitors gathered at Plymouth Yacht Haven; the city’s largest and busiest marina, to celebrate the region’s rich marine heritage and industry...

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Standing tall! 15ft home grown Christmas tree for Ottery town centre

Ottery’s Otter Garden Centres are proud to have grown the Christmas tree for the town once again, and this year it’s a whopper!

The 15ft Picea Abies is grown by Otter locally and this one was selected not just for its height but also for its full shape for the location.

A team from the garden centre came along with the tree delivery to help Ottery resident Richard Coley....

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Christmas tree

ottery st mary

festive donation

Seasonal snacks could be toxic for your pets

At Christmas, it’s tempting, when eating your favourite festive food, to share seasonal snacks with your furry friends.

But, warns animal expert, what can be a tempting treat for you could lead to a toxic trauma for your pet.

And it's not just at Christmas, warns Laura Roberts a specialist lecturer at South Devon College : "Winter as a whole is a time when our animal...

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Dartmoor and Exmoor’s most highly rated activities, based on Google reviews

Dartmoor Zoo and Dunster Castle and Watermill are the most popular activities in the South West’s national parks.

There are over 15 National Parks in the UK spread across England, Wales and Scotland. They are protected areas based on special qualities within their parameters, getting over 100 million visits every year.

Each area is unique, filled with historic sites,...

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Dartmoor

Devon

Exmoor. Coast & Country Hotel collection

Council offers free parking in run up to Christmas

To support local Christmas programmes and to enhance trade in the market towns of Mid Devon, 24-hour free parking will be available in the Councils long-stay car parks in the run up to Christmas.

Parking will be available as in previous years on the following Saturday’s:

Crediton – St Saviour’s Way Car Park

Saturday 26 November (Christmas light switch-on and

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Funding awarded to build affordable homes

Four projects to develop affordable homes on council owned brownfield sites in Devon and Torbay have been awarded just over £911,000 of government funding.

The Devon and Torbay One Public Estate Partnership has successfully bid for Brownfield Land Release Funding (BLRF2) to support the projects in Exeter, Mid Devon and Torbay.

The funding is a share of £35.9 million awarded...

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funding

Devon County Council

affordable homes

No Label No Limit for young women in Devon schools

A Heart of the South West (HotSW) Careers Hub * programme has been launched across 14 schools in Devon to help raise the confidence and aspirations of 500 young women.

The No Label No Limit programme is a personal development programme, inspiring and empowering young women in year nine and 10 to reach their potential.

Funded by The Careers & Enterprise Company , No Label...

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Christmas is bigger and better than ever at Arlington Court

Christmas has arrived at the National Trust's Arlington Court in North Devon.

Every weekend from now until 18 December, visitors can see the house at Arlington decorated in all the splendour of a Victorian Christmas. There is plenty to discover outside too, including a Christmas Carol themed activity trail and even Santa’s sleigh.

This year the National Trust team have gone...

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Jurassic Fibre saves the day for historic Exmouth Christmas tree

Award-winning Devon-based broadband company, Jurassic Fibre , has saved the day by stepping in to help light up Exmouth’s historic community tree, just in time for Christmas.

Exmouth’s community tree is at Exmouth’s Magnolia Centre in the pedestrian walkway, a popular shopping hotspot for tourists and locals alike. The tree is a traditional Norwegian spruce, measuring at over 40 ft...

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Green energy powerhouse ambitions showcased at Energy Summit

The huge potential of the South West’s green energy credentials, and its progress in becoming the UK’s green energy powerhouse, have been showcased at a key Energy Summit in the region.

The Great South West Partnership brought together leading figures across industry and Government for the summit, held at the University of Plymouth, on Wednesday 23 November.

The Great South...

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Heart of the South West

Marine

agriculture

floating offshore wind

Host of Black Friday deals at Drake Circus

A range of retailers at Drake Circus are offering exclusive Black Friday deals for shoppers in Plymouth – with many discounts already available in stores now.

Greg Lumley, centre director at Drake Circus and The Barcode, said: “Whether you’re looking to get Christmas gifts for friends and family or treat yourself ahead of the festive period, lots of our retailers will be offering a...

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