Exeter

Kids to vote on £90,000 skate park facelift

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...

'Holidays are coming'

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...

Work starts on beach defences for Sidmouth

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.

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Inspector returns from American fact finder

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Thu, 12/12/2013 - 5:04pm

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....

PCC and chief constable meet MPs

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Thu, 12/12/2013 - 5:03pm

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...

"Legal Highs" could face automatic ban

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Thu, 12/12/2013 - 4:13pm

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...

Smaller bills for 3,000 east Devon homes

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Thu, 12/12/2013 - 3:56pm

As British households prepare to face the cold winter, new research reveals 3,000 households in Tiverton and Honiton are eligible for assistance from their energy supplier with heating their homes. The findings from Home Heat Helpline show that a total of 3.6 million households across Great Britain qualify for help.

8 percent of homes in Tiverton and Honiton are entitled to relief from energy companies this year. Households that qualify include low income pensioners, disadvantaged families with children or those with a disability, or any household that lives in one of the most...

Firefighters strike from 6pm today

Authored by Huw Oxburgh
Posted: Thu, 12/12/2013 - 2:35pm

Firefighters in England and Wales will strike for the fifth and sixth times this weekend, between 6pm and 10pm on both Friday 13 and Saturday 14 December.

Members of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) have said that they will continue to strike until an agreement is met. The public and business community are reminded to take care during both four hour strikes. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have made contingency plans to ensure all 999 calls are answered during the strikes but still ask the public to be extra careful. While the majority of fire stations across Devon should...

Celebrate New Year at Exeter Racecourse

Exeter Racecourse's traditional New Year's Day race is perfect for those fighting a hangover, those who want to have a day with their friends, and even those who want a day with the family.

This year, early birds can enjoy a 25 per cent discount off the price of Grandstand and Paddock tickets if they book by Christmas Eve and with children aged 17 and under gaining free entry, it’s one of the county’s top destinations to continue the New Year celebrations.

General manager Tim Darby said:

“The atmosphere at Exeter on New Year’s Day is always fantastic with people...

Gilbert Stephens staff don their festive woollies for Save the Children

Noel Edmunds and Val Doonican step aside, because the staff of Gilbert Stephens LLP Solicitors have been getting into the festive spirit and donning a veritable feast for the eyes in Christmas jumpers along with thousands of others raising money for Save the Children on Friday 13 December.

Staff have been arriving at work with a smile on their face and a suitably jovial woolly on their backs – from ruddy-nosed Rudolph to sequin-bedecked Santa – for the minimum fundraising cost of £1, but hopefully much more. The team are hoping to raise hundreds of pounds for children in some of...

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