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Engineers working to restore gas to 4,600 homes in Devon

Engineers working to restore gas to 4,600 homes in Devon

Jonathan MorrisSouth WestWales & West UtilitiesMore than 100 engineers have been called out to reconnect homesA gas company is working to restore supplies after a major outage caused by damage to a mains pipe that has affected thousands of homes and other buildings.Wales and West Utilities (WWU) said every affected property would need a visit from engineers to switch the gas supply off followed by another to turn it back on safely.On Sunday it said the majority of…

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Group hopes to build affordable homes at Watchet’s old paper mill

Group hopes to build affordable homes at Watchet’s old paper mill

Daniel MumbyLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceLocal Democracy Reporting Service Wansborough paper mill in Watchet, Somerset, has stood empty for 10 yearsA community housing company is hoping to transform the site of a former paper mill into affordable rental homes.Base for Life wants to build community-owned properties at Wansborough paper mill in Watchet, Somerset, which was in operation from 1652 to 2015.Previous plans from developers did not come to fruition but Base for Life is hoping to break the deadlock…

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Travel warnings as snow and ice predicted in Devon and Cornwall

Travel warnings as snow and ice predicted in Devon and Cornwall

A yellow warning for ice and snow is in place across Devon and Cornwall, and is scheduled to last until Tuesday. The Met Office has warned of scattered sleet and snow showers, and icy patches which may cause some travel disruption on Sunday, Monday and into Tuesday morning.The ice, sleet and snow warnings start at 12:00 GMT on Sunday and run continuously until 11:00 on Tuesday.Some roads and rail journeys are likely to be affected and there is…

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Wolf Moon lights up skies across south of England

  • Post category:BBC Dorset
Wolf Moon lights up skies across south of England

The first full moon of 2026 has lit up skies across the south of England. It was the fourth supermoon in a row, following October's Harvest Moon, November's Beaver Moon and the Cold Moon in December. The January moon is known in the Northern Hemisphere as the Wolf Moon, coming at a time of the year when it was believed wolves howled more due to there being less food around.BBC Weather Watchers have been capturing images of the…

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Who is Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, now leading the country? | Nicolas Maduro News

A brief power vacuum had emerged in Venezuela in the sudden chaos and confusion after the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro by the United States.But shortly after the US military rained strikes down on Caracas and other areas on Saturday, US President Donald Trump – in a surprise snub against Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded last year’s Nobel Peace Prize – noted that Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, 56, had been sworn in as interim…

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Historic England status to protect Cornwall and Devon buildings

Historic England status to protect Cornwall and Devon buildings

A train station, a barracks and a dairy are among the 10 buildings in the South West that were granted protected status in 2025.Historic England (HE) listed nine buildings across Devon and one in Cornwall on the National Heritage List for England for their special architectural, historic or archaeological interest.There are more than 400,000 buildings, sites and landscapes on the list and 199 places across England were added to the list over the past year.Claudia Kenyatta and Emma…

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Railway in talks over new line extension at Shillingstone

  • Post category:BBC Dorset
Railway in talks over new line extension at Shillingstone

North Dorset RailwayThe northern extension, crossing Lamb House Bridge, was completed in 2025Railway enthusiasts who have been rebuilding a section of line ripped up in the 1960s are in talks with a council about extending it further.Half a mile (800m) of track has already been reinstated by volunteers at North Dorset Railway in Shillingstone, which is home to a museum and cafe.It includes a quarter-of-a-mile (400m) extension north of the station, completed in 2025, doubling the length of…

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Engineers rush to fix gas outage for 4,600 south Devon properties

Engineers rush to fix gas outage for 4,600 south Devon properties

BBCThe outage affects homes in areas of south Devon including KingsbridgeEngineers have been working overnight to repair damage to a mains pipe that has left thousands of homes and other buildings without gas.The outage, which affects about 4,600 properties in the Kingsbridge, Malborough and Salcombe areas of south Devon, started on Saturday amid freezing temperatures.Wales & West Utilities said on Sunday that the mains pipe had now been fixed but that, as part of the ongoing repairs, engineers…

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Bondi attack hero al-Ahmed, responders honoured at Australia cricket match | Cricket News

Before the fifth Ashes Test, Australian and English cricket teams honour responders who rushed to the site of the shooting.Published On 4 Jan 20264 Jan 2026Click here to share on social mediashare2ShareEngland and Australia’s cricket teams, as well as the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground, have honoured the emergency service personnel and members of the public who responded during a mass shooting at Bondi Beach in December.Both teams formed an on-field guard of honour, and the spectators…

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Number of unoccupied council houses falls by 39%

  • Post category:BBC Dorset
Number of unoccupied council houses falls by 39%

Amy WoodwardLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceBCP CouncilConstruction has been completed in Bournemouth on the first of 937 new homes planned for the areaThere has been a decrease of 39% in the number of unoccupied council houses in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole in the past five years.In 2020 there were 133 empty properties owned by BCP Council, which had fallen to 81 by November 2025.Data from a Freedom of Information request showed a total of 9,547 council-owned houses across the…

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Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall bids for 620 homes in Somerset

Prince William’s Duchy of Cornwall bids for 620 homes in Somerset

Leigh BoobyerWest of EnglandGetty ImagesThe land in Shepton Mallet forms part of the Duchy of Cornwall estateA bid by Prince William's estate for 620 homes and a primary school in Somerset is set to be approved.The Duchy of Cornwall, along with C G Fry and Son Ltd, want to develop the Mid Somerset Showground in Shepton Mallet and also build a care home and nursery.Somerset Council approved the application in September 2025 - but councillors must vote on…

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