Exeter

Residents were evacuated from their homes in Exeter after violent storms wreaked havoc in the city.

Monsoon-like conditions turned roads into rivers as electric blue lightning lit up the skies.

Those unlucky enough to be caught out without an umbrella last night were drenched within seconds.

Meanwhile elderly and disabled residents in properties on Burnthouse Lane in Exeter had to be evacuated due to flooding.

Some roads were closed and several only passable with care as drains struggled to cope with the deluge.

Alphington Road, Longbrook Street,...

The Commons Culture Media and Sports Committee on which I sit is currently doing an inquiry into the balance of arts funding in England. This was prompted by a number of recent independent reports showing that both Government and lottery support for the arts and culture is skewed massively in favour of London and that regions like the South West lose out.

At a recent hearing of the Committee, the Chairman of the Arts Council agreed that the current situation was unfair. In fact, every witness who has given evidence has accepted that – except the Arts Minister himself, Ed Vaizey....

RGB Building Supplies, which has a branch on Alphinbrook Road, Exeter, is delighted to have been announced as a finalist in the national Build It Awards 2014, which celebrate all aspects of self build and renovation.

As a finalist in the ‘Best Builders Merchant for Self Builders’ category, RGB will be up against leading national brands highlighting the quality of service that RGB offers.

RGB has always had an excellent reputation amongst self builders and because of this, were recently the main sponsor of this year’s SelfBuild & Design Show, which took place at Exeter’s...

Spook yourself silly this Hallowe’en at Knightshayes, on the outskirts of Tiverton, as the National Trust property goes all out with it’s All Hallows Eve celebrations and late night opening on Friday 31 October.

The late night opening is a first for the team at Knightshayes, as they look at new ways to help people explore the property and see it in a different light. There will be a spooky trail around the house and activities to help keep the kids occupied.

The gothic mansion lends itself well to the theme, as House Manager Sara Currant explained: “When I first moved to...

The Chairman of Devon County Council, George Gribble, officially opened Exeter’s new energy recovery facility today (16 October).

Delegates from Devon County Council, the county’s waste contractor Viridor and construction and initial operating company TIRU assembled with local community representatives at an official opening event on site.

Deputy Leader, Councillor John Clatworthy talked about the plant, which will deal with waste from Exeter, and the surrounding area.

He said: “For years, landfill has been the cheaper option, but it’s not a good environmental...

Devon County Council is continuing to open up more information about the council, its contracts and finances in a concept known as Open Data.

As part of the Council's commitment to accountability and transparency, there is a range of information available about how the council operates, its staff and what it spends.

Some examples of this are; details of all transactions that the council makes over £500, senior employee salaries, councillor allowances and expenses, contracts and tenders and grants to the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector.

Also widely...