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Torpoint Ferry to trial electricity in decarbonisation push

Torpoint Ferry to trial electricity in decarbonisation push

A chain ferry between Devon and Cornwall is to be part of a green energy trial.The Torpoint Ferry will use electricity in place of fossil fuels in a study scheduled to begin early next year, said its operator.Tamar Crossings said successful decarbonisation could reduce carbon emissions from its three ferries by up to 1,000 tonnes a year.The project was awarded £300,000 from the government as part of its aim for net zero shipping by 2050.Philip Robinson, chief officer…

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Sheep killed after being struck on Dartmoor train line

Train services in part of Devon have been disrupted after a sheep died when it was struck on the line.The livestock were reported on the track between Crediton and Okehampton on the Dartmoor Line just after 12:00 BST.Network Rail said one of the sheep had been struck and killed before engineers had been made aware the animals were on the single-track line.Great Western Railway said services Exeter Central and Okehampton via Exeter St Davids could be cancelled, delayed…

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Councils plan to split Devon into three unitary authorities

Councils plan to split Devon into three unitary authorities

Miles DavisDevon political reporterNorth Devon CouncilDevon would be split into three unitary authorities under plans backed by district councilsDevon should be split into three unitary authorities in a huge shake-up of local government, according to the district councils in the county.All of the district councils and the county council will be abolished in the biggest national reorganisation of local government for 50 years.The existing district councils say they want to see a new unitary authority across north and…

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Devon and Cornwall Police say disability hate crime under-reported

Devon and Cornwall Police say disability hate crime under-reported

Cameron Weldon andGeorge ThorpeSouth WestPA MediaDevon and Cornwall Police said it had seen an increase in the number of reports related to disability hate crimesDisability hate crime could still be under-reported despite an increase in the number of people coming forward, police have said.As part of National Hate Crime Awareness Week, which runs until Saturday, Devon and Cornwall Police said the number of offences involving a victim's disability in 2024-25 was 419, a 17% increase from the 358…

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Police drop investigation into Reform councillors in Devon

Police drop investigation into Reform councillors in Devon

A police investigation into allegations against Reform councillors and their election agent of overspending on election expenses has been dropped.Devon County Council members Neil Stevens, his brother Tony Stevens and their agent Rob Sheridan all faced claims of overspending in the May elections.The police launched an investigation in June after another Reform councillor, Ed Hill, reported his concerns to the authorities.Devon and Cornwall Police said no further action would be taken after the Stevens brothers and Mr Sheridan…

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Delight over reported sighting of orca calf off Isles of Scilly

Delight over reported sighting of orca calf off Isles of Scilly

Joe PenderThe newest member of the pod has not been photographed but it was reported to have been half the size of the adult femalesThe possible sighting of a calf among a pair of female orcas off the Isles of Scilly has sparked excitement among marine wildlife experts.The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust said boatman Joe Pender had seen the pod near Bishop Rock, in the westernmost part of the islands, on Wednesday. A Vega pod of Iberian…

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Campaigners fight plans to reopen Devon ball clay pit

Campaigners fight plans to reopen Devon ball clay pit

BBCOne of the six lakes proposed to be removed under plans to reopen a quarryCampaigners have warned against plans to cut down a woodland as part of a move to reopen a ball clay pit. Clay pit operators Sibelco want to expand the Zitherixon quarry, located between Kingsteignton and Newton Abbot in Devon, to extract five million tonnes of ball clay over the next 50 years.The firm stopped extracting from it in 1995, but it said reserves of…

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Beaminster broadband set to return after car crash outage

Beaminster broadband set to return after car crash outage

Ros TappendenSouth of EnglandCouncillor Craig MonksEngineers are replacing the pole before work can begin to restore servicesHundreds of homes and businesses that have been without broadband since a car fire look set to be back online by the weekend.About 1,000 customers in Beaminster, Dorset, lost their internet service on Sunday when a car crashed into a telegraph pole and burst into flames.Dorset councillor for Beaminster, Craig Monks, said individual suppliers had given residents varied estimates for reconnection "ranging…

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New £7.7m Chard primary school and nursery to open by 2028

New £7.7m Chard primary school and nursery to open by 2028

A new primary school and nursery will be built in the grounds of a secondary school, in a growing Somerset town.Somerset Council has confirmed it is going ahead with a £7.75m project to build a 210-place primary school and 40-place nursery at Holyrood Academy in Chard.The council said hundreds of new homes being built in the south Somerset town meant an extra 300 primary places would be needed in the next 10 years, more than the town's current…

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FPL gameweek seven tips: Eberechi Eze, Enzo Fernandez & Jarrod Bowen make team of week

FPL gameweek seven tips: Eberechi Eze, Enzo Fernandez & Jarrod Bowen make team of week

Eberechi Eze, Arsenal, £7.6m - Fulham (a)With Martin Odegaard set for a spell on the sidelines, Eze looks set for an extended run in the Arsenal side and that makes him a very intriguing FPL option.He tops most underlying statistics for Arsenal midfielders. His 17 shots translates to an average of 3.85 shots per 90 minutes - Bukayo Saka is next best at 2.33 - and 11 of those have been in the box.Bear in mind he is…

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Swanage’s Mowlem Theatre reaches £10k goal to fix leaking roof

Swanage’s Mowlem Theatre reaches £10k goal to fix leaking roof

A seafront theatre and cinema has managed to raise the £10,000 needed to put towards repairs to its roof riddled with leaks.The Mowlem Theatre on Shore Road in Swanage, Dorset, started a six week appeal to raise the money to add a waterproof layer onto the existing flat roof on 3 October.After many temporary fixes, the theatre found the roof was getting worse and needed urgent extensive repairs to avoid further damage over the winter and the possibility…

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