county news

Glastonbury Lake Village could be lost to climate change

Glastonbury Lake Village could be lost to climate change

Charlie Taylor,Presenter, BBC Radio Somerset and Chris Lockyer,SomersetSomerset Drainage BoardThe Glastonbury Lake Village is preserved in the marsh land An ancient wetland site which has been in place for almost 2,000 years is now under threat, due to the warm weather.Glastonbury Lake Village is an Iron Age settlement preserved by water and peat on the Somerset Levels.But the dry summer has lowered the local water table, leading to fears the timbers could begin to degrade.Dr Richard Brunning, a…

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Call for action over Paignton anti-social behaviour and driving

Call for action over Paignton anti-social behaviour and driving

John AyresDevon, PaigntonContributedNuisance driving has been reported along Esplanade Road over cars with adapted exhaustsResidents and businesses in Paignton have called on police and Torbay Council to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour and late-night nuisance driving.Hoteliers said guests had complained about noise on most nights along the seafront from screeching car tyres and vehicles' adapted exhausts.The Paignton Town Community Partnership said it wanted cameras installed which would measure the noise and record vehicles' registrations.Devon and Cornwall Police…

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New road layout to be trialled in St Ives

New road layout to be trialled in St Ives

Seb Noble,Cornwall political reporter, St Ives and Lisa Young,CornwallBBCOnly buses, cyclists and emergency services will be allowed to drive down Tregenna HillChanges are being made to the road layout in the centre of a busy Cornish town.From 17 November, cars will only be be able to drive up Tregenna Hill in St Ives as part of a trial.The Mayor of St Ives Johnnie Wells said it would be "a big change" but he thought it would be "transformational"…

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Shouting at gulls could stop food stealing

Shouting at gulls could stop food stealing

PA MediaResearchers found a recording of a man shouting was the most off-putting to gullsShouting at gulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research has revealed.University of Exeter researchers put a closed box of chips on the ground to attract herring gulls and watched the effect different recordings had on them.Once a gull approached, they played either a recording of a male voice shouting the words "no, stay away, that's my food", the same voice…

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Three Dorset sites earmarked for green space enhancements

Three Dorset sites earmarked for green space enhancements

Three large green spaces are set to be revitalised for improved nature and community use next month.The sites totaling 59 hectares which have been earmarked for green space enhancements are Erlin Farm, Millhams Mead and Solent Meads.Under the new plans, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is hoping to improve these spaces by generating biodiversity net gain (BNG).More BNG sites would allow BCP to keep developers offset funds for other local projects.BCP says its proposals would see green…

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Dorset Council tip booking system pushed back to ‘early 2026’

Dorset Council tip booking system pushed back to ‘early 2026’

The introduction of a booking system at four household tips has been pushed back to "early 2026", Dorset Council has said.The scheme at Dorchester, Wimborne, Shaftesbury and Sherborne aims to reduce congestion and prevent misuse by commercial users and people from outside the county.It had originally be due to launch in 2025, but the authority said the extra time would allow it to make sure the system was working smoothly.Residents will be able to book free of charge,…

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Shouting at seagulls could stop them stealing your food

Shouting at seagulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research shows. University of Exeter researchers put a closed Tupperware box of chips on the ground to pique herring gulls’ interest. Once a gull approached, they played either a recording of a male voice shouting the words, “No, stay away, that’s my food”, the same voice speaking those words, or the ‘neutral’ birdsong of a robin.   They tested a total of 61 gulls across nine…

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A38 section in Devon shut due to bridge defect, says highways

A38 section in Devon shut due to bridge defect, says highways

A section of the A38 has been closed due to a bridge expansion joint defect, highways bosses have said.National Highways said both lanes on the eastbound carriageway have been shut between the B3380 at Lower Dean and A384 at Buckfastleigh in Devon for emergency repairs.It added repairs would be carried out overnight, with engineers set to be at the site until 06:00 GMT on Wednesday.Bosses said the problems were with the steel joints which were "built into the…

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Highbridge killer’s mental health should’ve been ‘front page’

Highbridge killer’s mental health should’ve been ‘front page’

Martin JonesBBC West Investigations in WellsFamily handoutPaul Wells was killed by his neighbour in Highbridge, Somerset, in 2020The inquest into the death of a man stabbed to death by his neighbour has heard the killer's mental health issues should have been flagged more prominently on his police record.Richard Matthews stabbed Paul Wells to death on 25 June 2020, and is serving an indefinite hospital order.Matthews had severe mental health problems and wrongly believed his neighbour was a child…

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Licence review for Exeter’s Timepiece nightclub over spike claim

Licence review for Exeter’s Timepiece nightclub over spike claim

Miles DavisDevon political reporterBBCThe family of a young woman who allegedly had her drink spiked are applying for Timepiece in Exeter to have its licence reviewedA student who allegedly had her drink spiked in Freshers' Week is calling for a nightclub to have its licence reviewed.Documents set to be reviewed by Exeter City Council's licensing sub-committee said staff at Timepiece failed to call an ambulance and told the woman to move away from the club on 20 September.Staff…

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Need To Know Somerset – Wessex Water to spend £11m cutting sewage spills

Need To Know Somerset – Wessex Water to spend £11m cutting sewage spills

Available for over a yearOfwat says the company has ‘caused an unacceptable impact on customers and the environment.’ Now, Wessex Water has agreed to fund £11m worth of works to cut sewage spills across its network and avoid a fine by the regulator.Programme WebsiteShow less Source link

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Traders say A382 closure in Newton Abbot has hampered sales

Traders say A382 closure in Newton Abbot has hampered sales

Plants GalorePlants Galore owner Tony Joyner said turnover at the Newton Abbot store had fallen by 34%Business owners said they have experienced a drop in sales since a two-year roadworks project started.The A382, which connects Newton Abbot to the A38, has been closed since September as part of Devon County Council's (DCC) scheme to improve safety, ease congestion and boost options for walkers and cyclists.Tony Joyner, owner of the Plants Galore garden centre just off the A382, said…

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