City Council Leader Phil Bialyk has welcomed people back into the city as a number of restaurants and bars open up for the first time since ‘lockdown’.

But the Leader has urged people to be sensible and vigilant in an attempt to stop a second wave, as well as be patient, as some businesses are not ready to open.

The City Council has been at the heart of work to ensure the city centre returns to some form of normality following the pandemic.

The Council has been working with partners in the public and private sector as part of a City Centre Recovery Group which...

“Team Devon” has pledged to re-build the county’s economy to be stronger, more inclusive and sustainable as it unveiled the prospectus for its COVID-19 Economy and Business Recovery Plan . The programmes and projects listed in its prospectus have the potential to create 30,000 new jobs, 80,000 new training places and secure investment of £550 million, generating £2.8 billion of additional economic output. The county’s economy is predicted to shrink by around 8% this year, roughly 1% more than the rest of the UK, according to a new impact assessment commissioned by Team Devon. It suggests...

Pubs set to reopen on the 4th July, but will it be business as usual?

Some 80% of Exeter residents are not planning to go down the pub when they reopen next week, citing fears about social distancing and a potential second wave of the Covid-19 virus.

Pubs in Exeter have now been told that they can reopen as part of the next phase on the 4th July, alongside other hospitality businesses such as restaurants, hairdressers, and cinemas. But as one health and safety company has learned, even landlords are concerned.

Health and safety company Protecting.co.uk has found...

As Devon Air Ambulance prepares to open their shops next week, they explain the significant changes that have been made to the way you can shop and to their donation of goods process.

The safety of everyone including shop staff, volunteers and supporters is paramount and they must be ‘Covid Secure’ before finally opening their doors.

The Government announced that to ensure the utmost safety of everyone connected to the retail outlets, including those just visiting the premises, that FIVE mandatory steps must have been followed before they can resume trading or operating...

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is saying a huge Thank You to all its people, its colleagues across the NHS, and to everyone who has supported the NHS in this challenging year – as the NHS celebrates its 72nd birthday. More than seven decades after the NHS was founded on 5 July 1948, the Trust is expressing gratitude to everyone whose dedication, help and support has enabled it to meet the challenge of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. SWASFT is particularly thankful for its own 4,700 strong team of frontline, operational support and corporate services...

National and International law firm Trowers & Hamlins has promoted two lawyers from its Exeter Office Dispute Resolution and Litigation team to partnership. They form part of the 10 promotions into the partnership across the firm's offices in London, Manchester, Exeter and Abu Dhabi.

The new partners are:

Tom Sampford – who advises on Travel, Tourism and Insurance claims

Oliver Williams – who advises on construction disputes

The new partners are also the first to benefit from the firm's Pathways to Partnership programme. This programme required...

If you are considering designing a home piping system , one of the most important decisions that you will have to make is which material to use for the pipes. Generally speaking, pipes are made of either metal or plastic.

In the past, lead pipes were standard for plumbing; however, these were banned in new builds in the UK in 1970 (older buildings may still have lead pipes or solder) due to cases of lead poisoning. Types of metal range from stainless steel to brass, copper, or galvanised metal. The different types of plastic used tend to be PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), CPVC (...

Mental health used to be a forbidden topic that people would talk about behind closed doors. Thankfully, in recent years the mainstream media has recognized that mental health problems are actually an illness like any other, so the stigma regarding talking about any issues has decreased hugely. People are now actively encouraged to talk about their problems and to seek help.

While seeking help from a local psychiatrist is often the most effective way to address mental health concerns, the internet has revolutionized access to care, making it possible to seek support in various...

Following a difficult period for many, Active Devon, Travel Devon and Devon County Council are launching a new, digitally enabled community movement challenge. Beginning 6 July and running over the summer, Let’s Move will offer Devon’s communities a chance to move more, celebrate our local communities and to win great prizes.

In overcoming these challenges and moving beyond the obstacles life throws at us, Let’s Move is also an inclusive celebration of every community across Devon, as well as how physical activity and movement can help us all, as both individuals and as...

Even if you keep track of your finances, any kind of emergency can put you in difficulty. At that time, you might need to look at options that can get you out of the deep end. If your friends or family members aren't able to give you the funds, then you will probably look into loans.

When emergency situations arise, and your credit is not the best, then you might be looking at short term or payday loans. These are pretty easy to get for people that have bad credit, and many lenders approve them quickly.

But are short term loans the right choice even if you have a bad...