Exeter & East Devon News

Yesterday, Exmouth in Bloom attended the SW in Bloom Presentation Day in Torquay and are delighted to announce that they were awarded their 20th consecutive Gold.

A local family who lost their baby Monty in 2020 are working with East Devon District Council (EDDC) on a special ribbon display to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week.

The ‘Singing Children of Africa’ have visited Exmouth Community College (ECC) this term to take part in an exciting performance with ECC students. The group visited the college as part of their national tour.

The University of Exeter is delighted to announce alumnus the Rt Hon Sir Sajid Javid as chair of its new fundraising campaign, which will launch in 2026.

Children across East Devon have been treated to five new play areas so far this summer and have five more to come thanks to a £1.2million cash injection.

Businesses, organisations and individuals are being encouraged to enter this year’s Exeter Sustainability Awards.

Twenty one homeless people died in Exeter in 2024, according to a nationwide campaign organisation.

A rendition of Adele’s Rolling in the Deep momentarily led to elevated sound levels at a famed Devon pub during Sidmouth Folk Week, a committee has heard.

The Royal Devon has been successful in securing a £20m commitment from NHS England to create a Centre of Excellence for day surgery at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Heavitree). Final funding will be received following business case approval by the Trust Board and NHSE.

Exciting plans for a new family-focused community space in Devon’s youngest town have been given the green light.

Sidmouth Cycling Campaign are helping parents organise a group cycle ride from Sidbury to Sidmouth College on Monday 13th October, to demonstrate the need for a separate, safe off-road cycle path to school

People living in Exeter are being urged to return a form to ensure they are able to vote in the next elections.

Campaigners trying to stop trucks speeding through narrow streets today warned: “It’s only a matter of time before there’s a serious accident.”

Another much-loved old Exeter pub is to be turned into homes.

Help is available for anyone at risk of becoming homeless and people must come forward and seek support, Exeter’s Lead Councillor for Housing and Homelessness Prevention has said.

Award-winning children’s authors Reeve & McIntyre has officially opened the new Clore Children’s Library in Exeter.

East Devon District Council and South West Flood & Coastal are preparing a new Beach and Cliff Management Plan (BCMP) to guide how Budleigh’s coastline is managed for the future.

Residents who live next to a popular Devon pub have complained about noise levels during a landmark music festival.

The Axe Valley wildlife park is set to close on Friday 10th October due to it being financially unviable for them to continue operating.

Exeter has been named ‘University of the Year’ at the prestigious national awards programme celebrating outstanding support for social mobility.

Officers are seeking witnesses after a man sustained life-threatening injuries in a collision in Exeter today, 3 October.

An East Devon town is likely to get £3 million in cash from housebuilder contributions towards its health campus.

A wheelchair basketball club that trains at a sports centre in Exeter is booming with three teams and 70 members.

A Exeter City Council engineer has been recognised for helping young people into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers.

Campaigners fighting to have a road re-opened in the centre of Exeter have blasted a county council report which recommends a fresh public consultation.

This week East Devon Neighbourhood Team have been out in your local community to distribute information, awareness and support about Romance Fraud.

Farmers and land managers across East Devon are being encouraged to apply for funding through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, which supports projects that benefit nature recovery, climate action, local communities, and sustainable farming practices.

People in Exeter will get a chance to have their say on a controversial road closure which supporters maintain has boosted safety but objectors say has increased congestion and pollution.

Sidmouth College has welcomed a new headteacher this academic year. Mr Alex Evans took up the post at the beginning of September, succeeding Lisa Whitworth, who has led the school as Interim Headteacher over the past year.

Officers are seeking the public’s help to trace a 24-year-old man from Exeter.

Were you aware that Sidmouth Town Council offer Grants each year to Voluntary Organisations?

East Devon District Council has received the Gold award in Animal Activity Licensing at the RSPCA PawPrints Awards 2025.

A rogue builder from Exeter has been jailed for 18 months and banned from trading for seven years for taking more than £59,000 in deposits for work he either didn’t start or didn’t complete

Two young drug dealers have been sentenced for pedalling heroin and crack cocaine in Exeter.

A public consultation has been launched today (Wednesday 1 October) on proposed changes to the layout of Barnfield Road in Exeter.

The Exeter College fine dining restaurant, @Thirty-Four has been named, for the second time in three years, as the AA College Restaurant of the Year.

A new campaign highlighting the links between Exeter’s train stations and the city’s Green Circle walking route launches this month as part of celebrations marking 200 years of the modern railway.

Work to upgrade the gas pipes in the Salterton Road area of Exmouth is progressing well.

East Devon has raised fears about its future finances after stating it could be one of the “worst affected” districts if proposed changes to business rates go ahead.

A research study led by the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Exeter is seeking volunteers to help speed up diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Angry swimmers who dived in for one final session at Exeter’s Northbrook Pool say they have been let down by the city council.

The new Devon Neighbourhood Support Team conducted a targeted operation in Exeter City Centre to tackle the use of illegal e-bikes. The primary objective was to remove unsafe and unlawful vehicles from the streets, enhancing safety for everyone who lives, works, and visits the city.

East Devon District Council is celebrating today’s announcement that Marlcombe, the district’s newest community, has been recommended as one of just 12 new towns across England in the government’s next-generation new towns programme.

The newly relocated Seaton Library has been officiality opened.

A new Beach and Cliff Management Plan (BCMP) is being prepared by East Devon District Council (EDDC) and South West Flood & Coastal for Budleigh Salterton to set out how the town’s beach and cliffs should be managed in the years ahead.

Step into 2,000 years of history with Exeter’s free Red Coat Guided Tours. The new winter season begins on Wednesday 1 October and no booking is required.

People living in Exeter are being invited to tap into funding to make their homes more energy efficient.

Year 7 students at Isca Academy have taken part in a live stream event with renowned author Joseph Coelho this term.

A project to create mindfulness spaces at Service Headquarters and Exmouth Fire Station has been shortlisted for the Blue Light Card Foundation’s Workplace Wellbeing Fund.

The search is on once again to find the best photographs of trees in Exeter with some great prizes up for grabs.

With the summer officially ended, Exmouth lifeguarded beach will see patrols finish until 2026.

Sidmouth College is proud to announce that the college has achieved the Silver Anti-Bullying Quality Mark

Plans for 81 homes in an East Devon town that include properties that can be turned into shops have been approved

A total of 92 homes have been given the go-ahead in an East Devon town after years of “difficult negotiations”.

Campaigners fighting for the future of an East Devon community hospital have hit out at its proposed sale and the possible removal of NHS services.

A new report has been launched highlighting the importance of UK cities like Exeter in local government reorganisation.

A new vision to put Seaton’s unique natural environment at the heart of the town’s identity and future has been formally adopted by East Devon District Council’s Cabinet

Another 3,000 more homes in Exeter will soon be receiving weekly food waste collections.

Honiton Town Council is excited to announce it is now seeking nominations for the prestigious yearly award of Honitonian of the Year for 2025.

Residents in Exeter can now put their used toothpaste tubes out for recycling, but they must be clearly marked as recyclable and must be cleaned out.

People living in Exeter are being warned to be vigilant following reports of a suspected doorstep scam targeting vulnerable individuals.

Essential coastal protection work at Seaton Hole has now begun, following delays caused by adverse weather and sea conditions. The project—part of a £1.4 million improvement scheme—is a joint effort between East Devon District Council (EDDC) and South West Flood & Coastal.

Police are appealing for witnesses and information following an assault in Exeter.

The next phase of works to refurbish East Devon’s public toilets and how it will be carried out is set to be discussed at a council meeting later this month.

The owner of the farm where more than 450 animals were kept in ‘harrowing’ conditions has been sentenced to twelve months in prison and given a lifetime animal ban, after pleading guilty to 25 offences under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.  

Police are appealing for witnesses and information following a report of a sexual assault in Exeter.

Police and partners are taking part in proactive patrols to make sure partygoers feel safe as students hit Exeter city centre for welcome week.

Concerted action to support a ‘greener, healthier and fairer’ future has resulted in the University of Exeter being ranked inside the top 15 higher education institutions in the country and named the second most sustainable.

Police are seeking the public’s help to locate a 54-year-old man from Exeter.

Honiton Town Council is pleased to announce that applications are open for S106 Sports Grant and/or the Town Council Sports Fund.

Exeter has a vital role to play in Devon’s forthcoming devolution deal despite being in the ‘second tier’ of councils involved.

Supporters across the heart of Devon opened their gardens to raise vital funds for hospice charity amidst funding deficit. 55 gardens opened during 2024 in support of Hospiscare, the local hospice charity for Exeter, Central and East Devon.