2,082 children in the South West are homeless and living in temporary accommodation, according to the latest government figures.
The new statistics recorded at the end of September mean that, across Britain, nearly 85,000 children now face the reality of waking up homeless this Christmas morning. Shelter is warning that as the rising cost of living and cuts to the housing safety net continue to take their toll, many more parents are likely to find themselves facing an ongoing struggle to keep a roof over their children’s heads.
East Devon District Council has reluctantly decided to move the venue of the Feniton ‘super inquiry’ because the initial location is not big enough for the eight-day hearing.
After appeals by three developers against EDDC’s refusal of planning permission for their proposals, the Planning Inspectorate decided to combine appeal hearings for three Feniton sites into a single event.
The appeals are by Feniton Park Ltd for Acland Park (32 homes), Strategic Land Partnership for land west of Ottery Road (up to 120 homes) and Wainhomes for an extension to the 50 homes allowed at...
The Arctic 30 have been told they cannot leave Russia and return home for Christmas despite a ruling by an international court ordering their release.
The environmental charity Greenpeace has revealed that Russia investigative committee has written to one of its activists- Anne Mie Jensen from Denmark - indicating that they are not free to leave the country.
The charity’s lawyers have said that they expect this to be the case for all of the non-Russian members of the Arctic 30, including six Britons.
Three from Devon, Alexandra Harris, Iain Rogers and Kieron Bryan...
New flood maps issued by the environment agency show that less people in Devon and around England are now being classed as ‘at risk’ of flooding.
The maps, from the Environment Agency, show areas of the country at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea and help communities and businesses protect their properties from flooding.
The new maps, as well as providing a vital service to the public, will also help local authorities to manage surface water flood risk as required by legislation passed in 2010.
As Lead Local Flood Authority for the area, Devon County Council...
East Devon District Council (EDDC), and the young people from Honiton Youth Centre and Honiton Community College have been working together to design £90,000 of improvements to Honiton skate park in Allhallows Field.
The £90,000 has come from the Council’s main budget and is being spent on Honiton skate park as it was judged to be the most in need of improvements in the district with many of the ramps at the very end of their life. The improvements have been requested by skate park users.
Now, EDDC want local people who use or might use the skate park to decide how it...
The iconic Coca Cola Christmas truck will be back in Exeter on Sunday 15th December.
The vehicle, which gives everyone that festive feeling, is back in Devon after Exeter was uncovered as a 'Kindness Hotspot'.
Coca Cola have uncovered ' Kindess Hotspots' across the UK, where in certain cities and towns across Great Britain people have been going above and beyond to bring joy to others, and Exeter is one of them!
Exeter City Manager, John Harvey, said:
"I'm not surprised Exeter has been uncovered as a Kindness Hotspot. Exeter is a tolerant and considerate...
East Devon District Council has announced the start of a 12 month project to create a new Beach Management Plan for Sidmouth – designed to maintain and improve the town’s coastal defences whilst enhancing the area as an attraction for beach-users.
The Council is to spend an estimated £75,000 on a data-collection and options appraisal aimed at producing maintenance and capital options that could attract funding from a number of sources, including the Government. The project is split into 5 stages: information gathering, baseline studies, issues, options and plan production.
Chief Inspector Mark Bolt has just returned from a six-week fact-finding mission to the USA.
The purpose of the trip was to see how police forces in the USA deal with individuals in mental health crisis. It was funded as a part of his Winston Churchill Fellowship for 2013.
Mark said: “This issue is high on the agenda of British policing and it is hoped that the UK can learn from our counterparts across the pond.”
Mark visited Chicago, Hartford, Arlington and Baltimore, and were specifically chosen as they have well-developed programmes dealing with those in need....
A fairer share of central government funding, the cost of alcohol related crime and mental health provision were on the agenda when Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg and Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer met south west members of Parliament at Westminster on Tuesday (10 December). A cross party group of eight of the regions MPs joined Mr Hogg and Mr Sawyer to look at the issues they feel have the biggest effect on policing the peninsula. This is not the first time the two men have joined forces to seek the assistance of local MPs. Earlier this year, when Chancellor George Osborne...
A new review into the laws that govern “legal highs” could see fundamental changes to UK drug legislation.
The review announced by the Minister of State for Crime Prevention, Norman Baker today; could see UK drugs law adopt the US system which automatically bans drugs that are similar to already illegal drugs.
This would tackle the current practice of “legal high” manufacturers slightly altering the chemical make-up of drugs as bans come into force. The government has banned over 200 substances since coming into power and has set up a Forensic Early Warning System to...
