HEADLINES Labour councillors dive deeper into denial in decision to abandon Northbrook pool Exeter residents mourn after council unable to escape complex looming over city like a leviathan. Read more. Devon & Torbay CCA keeps quiet about 2025-35 Local Growth Plan as it takes charge of regional development agenda Combined County Authority privately selects unspecified...
HEADLINES 300-bed “co-living” blocks to trump social housing vision for Mary Arches car parks More people could be crammed into Eutopia Homes complex than current car parking spaces after Exeter City Council commits to “homes for the people of Exeter” on Liveable Exeter North Gate site. Read more. Exeter City Council renews Public Spaces Protection...
HEADLINES First Exeter build to rent flats marketed at £1,375-£2,350 per month with “affordable” units costing £1,080-£1,800 plus bills Eutopia Homes rents in Exmouth Junction block would leave many workers with substantially lower income than Joseph Rowntree Foundation minimum for a socially-acceptable standard of living. Read more. Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez launches Devon...
SPECIAL REPORT Campaigners compel Exeter City Council to reconsider Northbrook pool closure with 2,250-strong resident petition Exeter City Council is under pressure to reconsider its plan to close Northbrook Swimming Pool after community campaigners triggered a full council debate on the closure by raising a petition imploring it to keep the pool open that was...
HEADLINES Dartmoor National Park warns of continued high fire risk after wildfire destroys 1,230 acres of moorland Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service took nearly 24 hours to extinguish bank holiday weekend blaze that followed warning of uncontrolled moorland fire risk. Read more. 24 hour year-round Sidwell Street “adult gaming centre” allowed at appeal...
LOCAL ELECTIONS RESULTS SPECIAL Lib Dems take command at County Hall despite Reform UK surge as Conservatives lose 33 seats and Labour is wiped out 2025 Devon County Council elections leave balance of power in Green Party hands as local government reorganisation takes centre stage on regional political agenda. Read more. 2025 Devon County Council...
LOCAL ELECTIONS SPECIAL 2025 Exeter & Devon local elections guide Devon County Council elections take place on 1 May alongside two Exeter City Council by-elections. Our essential guide explores the background to this year’s ballot and assesses the contests in each of the city’s electoral divisions and wards. Read it here. When, where and how...
HEADLINES Voluntary sector grants now lost following 12% councillor attendance record highlighting need for by-elections in absentee cases. Read more. Criminal investigation into suspended Devon & Cornwall Police Chief Constable dropped Will Kerr to remain suspended while IOPC resumes previously paused conduct investigation and interim chief constable James Vaughan continues to lead force. Read more....
HEADLINES Devon & Torbay CCA sets sail for regional democratic deficit with £500,000 crew Combined county authority throws public accountability overboard as future regional strategic governance body ratifies constitution at inaugural meeting but fails to explain why so many staff needed to deliver so little at such colossal cost. Read more. Sidwell Street Post Office...
HEADLINES City council holds sham Northbrook swimming pool closure consultation £600,000 Exeter Leisure services budget cut signed off two weeks before pool consultation opened as St Sidwell’s Point drains other council leisure sites. Read more. Met Office to sell Exeter Science Park supercomputer and office buildings Disposal motivated by replacement of nine year-old supercomputer with...
HEADLINES Devon County Council reveals perilous financial state with SEND spending having “significant impact” on cash balances 5.9% budget increase for 2025-26 conceals £22 million cuts and £66 million cost increases with “inevitable” impact on “vital” services. Read more. Exeter Energy insists Riverside Valley Park only viable heat plant site but fails to explain Marsh...
HEADLINES Will Devon’s eleven councils find common ground as local authority reorganisation deadline looms? A county-wide consensus is gaining traction with most Devon councils already on board and only Exeter City Council standing in its way while County Hall has yet to make up its mind. Read more. Exeter City Council approves own planning application...
HEADLINES Exeter Energy plant replaces rationale for Grace Road Fields location near River Exe with reliance on air source heat pumps Developer nevertheless seeks planning permission to build in Riverside Valley Park, claiming public open space “not bound” by local plan policy, as scheme ambition and city council environmental leadership claims begin to drain away....