When you think of fostering, you’ll likely think of taking in a child or teenager and looking after them until the time is right for them to move on to a permanent home. However, in some cases, parent and child fostering is needed. This means that not only will the child come to live with you, but so too will at least one of their parents.
Most parent and child fostering placements last from between 12 and 26 weeks, and it’s a chance for a new parent to understand more about how to take care of their baby and what it means to be a parent. These services are hugely important, but...
Vehicle theft fell 13.6% from 2020 to 2021, according to new figures from more than 40 police forces across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This translates to 343,640 reported thefts from or of a vehicle in 2020, which dropped to 296,910 last year.
London Metropolitan Police area had the most reported vehicle thefts, topping 100,000 crimes last year – followed by West Yorkshire with 14,460 and Thames Valley with 12,320 reported thefts.
In 2021, the residential crime rate also had London Metropolitan as the most likely place for thefts according to...
UK law firm Ashfords' continues to grow its offer to the Energy & Waste sectors with the arrival of experienced energy & construction partner Carl Thompson.
Carl joins from Osborne Clarke where he led the Bioenergy & Waste team and advised on a wide range of clean energy projects from on-shore & off-shore wind, energy-from-waste and anaerobic digestion to battery storage, solar and tidal developments. He is a recognised expert in the Legal 500 and an experienced adviser on complex large-scale commercial construction and engineering projects across rail, energy,...
Buckfast Abbey, in South Devon, has released its exciting new line-up of Concerts and Organ Recitals for 2022. Recognised as a centre of culture and the arts in the South West of England, the Abbey Church is known for its popular series of annual concerts and recitals, which hosts choirs and performers from the local area and further afield.
Highlights of the 2022 series include a performance of the Mozart Requiem by the Abbey’s own choir and orchestra (Saturday 21st May) and a splendid evening of choral music spanning Byrd to Chilcott on the 23rd July performed by the boy...
First-time buyers need to borrow up to five times their salary to get on the property ladder in Exeter, new figures show.
The city ranks ninth in a list of 20 of the country’s least affordable locations compiled by online mortgage broker Mojo Mortgages.
Homes in Exeter typically command a price tag of more than £333,000, compared to the national average of £287,830.
With residents typically earning £26,710 a year, a couple who’d saved a 15 per cent deposit would have to borrow seven times their salary for a mid-market home.
Small businesses and local communities in the county are being invited to apply to a new grant scheme launched by Devon County Council.
The Devon Elevation Fund (DEF) is funded through the UK Community Renewal Fund.
The scheme is offering grants of between £2,500 and £25,000 to projects that help businesses and community organisations to:
• Respond to the different trading environment resulting from COVID-19 • Plan for future growth and development • Develop new products and services • Improve infrastructure • Assess the feasibility of future initiatives...
Shaldon Bridge will be closed during the half-term holiday from Monday 21 to Friday 25 February for repair work.
The work consists of repairs to the bridge’s curtain wall nosing and the further investigation of a defect recently discovered in the bridge’s lifting chamber.
During the closure, maintenance teams will take the opportunity to clean the gullies.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways Management said: “We apologise for the inconvenience, however the work has to be done. Pedestrians will still be able to use the...
New data by flatshare site SpareRoom reveals the shocking amount of money being spent on rent every month, with over 80% of renters spending more than 30% of their take home pay on rent, and almost one in three (29%) handing over more than 50% of their pay. People spending more than 30% of their household income on rent are traditionally considered ‘rent burdened’, those who spend over 50% are considered ‘severely rent burdened’. SpareRoom’s data shows the majority of renters are currently ‘rent burdened’. This means many will already have difficulties affording necessities...
Three outstanding businesses from Devon are preparing to attend the national final of the UK’s leading rural business awards programme, where they’re shortlisted for their outstanding accomplishments in business.
Thorverton-based Rull Orchard, The Outdoors Group from Shillingford Abbot and Dartington’s Apricot Centre have been shortlisted in the national final of the Rural Business Awards, held in partnership with Amazon, which will see them compete against fellow businesses from across the UK to be named among the best rural businesses in the country.
Married couples and people in civil partnerships could receive extra cash this Valentine’s Day as HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) encourages those eligible to sign up for Marriage Allowance to reduce their tax bill.
Marriage Allowance allows married couples or those in civil partnerships to share their personal tax allowances if one partner earns an income under their Personal Allowance threshold of £12,570, and the other is a basic rate taxpayer.
Eligible couples can transfer 10% of their tax-free allowance to their partner, which is £1,260 in 2021/22. It means couples...
