Local News

With the restructuring of the secured loan market segment, the high rates and fees as well as the stigma that once plagued this sector are rapidly disappearing. Secured loan sales, now part of the mortgage industry, are a fast-growing market in the UK, up 30 percent in February 2019 over the previous year Reaching £65.5 million in February 2019, secured loans are expected to top these levels have exceeded 2009 amounts; brokers who have not completed a secured loan in months are now seeing these loans on a regular basis.

“Part of this increase is attributed to the improvements in...

Social care and social work teams at Devon County Council are redeploying staff from non-critical services to essential frontline services in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

It’s to ensure that vulnerable people, young or old, are able to continue accessing the services they need.

Customer service staff at Care Direct, which is the route for adults into Devon County Council’s social work services, have seen telephone calls rise sharply over the last few weeks, as the public comes to terms with the impact of the virus. They’ve taken hundreds of calls from vulnerable...

Following the Prime Minister’s call for all pubs, clubs and restaurants to close, and in the light of additional guidance that people should be staying in their primary home wherever possible - observing social distancing - Cofton Holidays, located near Dawlish, has taken the decision to close its doors to members of the public and any non-essential staff for the foreseeable future.

All future guests have been informed of the holiday park’s closure. Guests with holidays already booked are being given the opportunity to rebook at a later date of their choice, when the restrictions...

Libraries Unlimited has announced that libraries across Devon will temporarily close from Friday 20 March, in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Across the county, library staff are trying to continue to provide library services in different ways.

In Exeter, they are trialling ‘books by post’. Others will be providing online sessions such as Bounce & Rhyme, reading groups, and story times. There will be IT help, provided remotely.

Staff will be checking in by telephone with customers who they know to be vulnerable and needing social contact.

They...