Local News

Dartmouth Food Festival returns for 2026!

Dartmouth Food Festival (23rd – 25th October 2026) is well-known as one of the most prestigious food festivals in the country and is always credited with an unrivalled line up of chef talent and a feast of entertainment.

Continuing to build on more than two decades of culinary...

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How can digital technology stop the propagation of epidemic diseases?

In just a matter of weeks, the new coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world. The UK has gone into a state of near-lockdown, and a colossal packaged of emergency financial measures have been unveiled to help prop up the economy during this time of unprecedented upheaval.

Solving this problem will require radical thinking and radical solutions. And it’ll be solved, for...

Cash boost to help Paignton community hub

A charity dedicated to improving the lives of residents in Paignton and the surrounding villages has been given a cash boost by a regional builder to help with its work.

Persimmon Homes South West, based in Exeter, donated £1,000 to the Thrive Project Community Hub through its Community Champions scheme.

The Thrive Project is a community hrun by unpaid volunteers. It offers...

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Paignton community hub

thrive

Devon

Start-ups step up to help communities

The UK has witnessed a wave of unprecedented change: school closures, work-from-home, self-isolation, supermarket stockpiling and increased pressure on hospitals. On the flipside, amongst uncertainty, fear and worry, the UK has also seen communities and businesses step up and show their solidarity like never before. From NHS discounts to free online gym-classes, Yoopies, the largest online...

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Community Assistance Covid-19

East Devon Coronavirus update – closure of parks, gardens, play areas, public toilets, beach huts/beach hut sites and suspension of green waste and bulky waste collections

Councillor Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s Environment Portfolio Holder and John Golding, Strategic Lead for Housing, Health and Environment have confirmed that the council has closed parks, gardens, play areas and beach huts/beach hut sites.

The green waste and bulky waste services have also been temporarily suspended in order to focus resources on kerbside recycling and...

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Covid 19

coronavirus

Devon

East Devon District Council

New editors join BBC Spotlight and BBC Radio Cornwall

Daisy Griffith is now leading the most popular regional news bulletin in the country, Spotlight, which reaches more than 50 per cent of the South West each week.

Meanwhile Emma Clements is running BBC Radio Cornwall, a station with more than 100,000 weekly listeners.

Stephanie Marshall, head of the BBC in the South West and West, said the experienced journalists would bring...

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Recycling centres restricted to essential use only

Residents should only visit recycling centres if absolutely necessary.

Those with small amounts of waste which are suitable to be placed in the kerbside collection, those over 70, those who are self isolating (vulnerable or displaying symptoms of COVID 19) should not visit the sites from today (Monday 23 March) until further notice.

The new measures follow thousands of...

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Great Torrington appeal decision raises the question: do Local Planning Authorities have any authority over planning?

Outline planning permission has been granted for a major development of new homes on farmland at Great Torrington following a Planning Inspector’s decision to allow an appeal by developer Beechcroft Land Ltd.

The developer had sought permission in 2018 for 181 homes in three fields to the south of the town, next to the existing settlement boundary and urban area. The eastern field of...

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Planning Inspectorate

planning

inquiry

Torridge Distrcit Council

CPRE Devon criticises ‘planning by stealth’ as county council approves massive expansion of Mid Devon anaerobic digester plant

The Devon branch of the countryside charity CPRE is dismayed at the decision by Devon County Council to approve a massive expansion of a Mid Devon anaerobic digester plant, Willand Biogas, effectively permitting it to handle almost five times the original amount of feedstock.

The plant, sited next to the abattoir in Willand, was originally approved to take abattoir waste, together with...

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Temporary changes to on-street parking enforcement

In order to help residents parking outside their homes while working from home or self-isolating during the Coronavirus outbreak, the County Council’s parking enforcement teams will reduce enforcement on certain roads – although double yellow lines will still be enforced.

Changes to routine patrols will enable officers to concentrate their efforts on keeping key routes running...

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Torquay penguins inspire novel

Living Coasts, in Torquay, famous for its penguins, has helped inspire a novelist to write a book featuring penguins – published by Penguin.

The novel, by Exmoor-based writer Hazel Prior, is called Away With The Penguins . Living Coasts' Senior Keeper, Jason Keller, helped Hazel with her research into hand-rearing baby penguins.

Away With The Penguins has been described as a...

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away with the penguins

Hazel Prior