Devon News

A total of £7.7 million will be invested in walking and cycling schemes across Devon in 2025/26.

People may have to pay to go onto Dartmoor in future unless the government comes up with a new way of funding national parks.

In a hard-hitting report, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez has said she is ‘deeply disappointed’ at Devon & Cornwall Police’s handling of complaints from the public.

A 12-month trial which will alter the dimming regime of around 80% of Devon’s residential streetlights will get underway next month (April).

Labour has vented anger over the absence of an Exeter-centric option for how Devon’s councils could be revamped.

How long a new devolved piece of local government in Devon can survive is already unknown according to its most senior officials amid Westminster’s revamped plans for councils.

Battery fires are on the rise

Dog walkers are being urged to keep their canines under control, especially during lambing season.

It’s Food Waste Action Week and one simple way consumers can reduce the amount of food they throw away is to buy loose fruit and veg

Devon County Council’s delayed Ofsted report is likely to be published May’s local elections, amid ongoing discussions about its contents.

Parents, young people and providers were among those celebrating supported internships at a recent Exeter Future Skills Centre event.

Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service (HOTSWTS) took part in a major operation to disrupt the sale of illegal tobacco across the region.

Data has to be the driving force behind Devon’s upcoming local authority shake-up, according to the county council’s outgoing leader who has warned against hopes of “massive savings”.

Have you ever experienced someone exposing themselves and dismissed it as a joke? Or felt the unsettling gaze of someone watching you getting changed, only to brush it off as harmless? Think again.

Two members of an organised crime gang who helped traffic tens of thousands of pounds-worth of cocaine into the South West have been jailed.

Devon County Council has received its largest ever funding award from the Department for Education (DfE) for the expansion of its successful Train4Tomorrow adult skills training programme.

Devon County Councillors have approved plans for just over £10.3 million of improvements to the bus network across the county.

A £1 million pot of cash aimed at reducing waiting times for autism assessments in Devon might not be renewed.

It looks like Devon County Council won’t overspend this year, reversing a previous expectation. However, it’s unlikely to save money either.

Plans for future transport improvements in Devon and Torbay have been endorsed by Devon County Councillors.

Devon County Councils annual Flood Risk Management Action Plan for the upcoming financial year has been rubber stamped by councillors.

A series of ‘ambitious’ and ‘transformational’ plans to develop cycling and walking improvements across Devon has been given the greenlight by members of Devon County Councils ruling cabinet.

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust has celebrated the arrival of the 50th baby born through a cutting-edge genetic testing service.

The fight against drugs in our communities is something the Police and Crime Commissioner takes incredibly seriously.

Saving money and reducing food waste is important to many Devon householders and Recycle Devon is sharing a free online recipe book to help keep more food on our plates and less in the bin.

Great Western Railway will welcome 26 Class 175 trains to its fleet to help improve punctuality and reliability for customers, replacing older diesel trains that are more expensive and less environmentally friendly to run.

The Woodland Trust is urging local authorities to declare a nature emergency and take urgent steps to restore severely depleted wildlife and natural green spaces in their communities.  

Devon and Cornwall Police Rural Affairs Team have identified that rural/farm fuel thefts have taken place across the two counties since the start of the year and are encouraging farmers and farm workers to be vigilant. 

The Government has released its ‘Simpler Recycling’ Reforms to improve recycling rates by making things simpler, easier, and more consistent across the UK.

Between 17 and 21 February, police forces across the South West carried out a major crackdown on large-scale cannabis cultivation. 2,240 cannabis plants were discovered and destroyed and £57,335 cash was recovered.

Devon and Cornwall has recently entered into a new partnership with Auror, a software development company, to strengthen the Force's response to organised retail crime.

Anyone who wants to vote in the Devon County Council elections on Thursday 1 May, must ensure that they are on the electoral register.

The theft of agricultural machinery and plant equipment is a considerable problem and is sometimes the result of organised crime. 

Vital sampling work carried out by Heart of the Southwest Trading Standards has lifted the lid on the sale of ‘nicotine free’ vapes across the region which actually contain nicotine.

Devon County Council’s Connecting You project was one of 12 across the country supported with the Department for Transport’s Tackling Loneliness with Transport funding in 2022. The initiative aimed to reduce loneliness in over-55’s and young people aged 16-24.

Over 9,300 schoolchildren in Devon are to benefit from Bikeability cycle training this financial year. That’s thanks to a Bikeability Funding award of just over £451,000 to Devon County Council for 2025/26.

An appeal has been launched for local business people to volunteer their time to support the “Enterprise Adviser” initiative run by Devon, Plymouth & Torbay Careers Hub.

The Force is joining in the National Police Staff Week of Celebration and Recognition, until Sunday 9 March, to highlight their staff colleagues and the crucial work they do to help keep Devon and Cornwall safe. 

There’s been another big increase in the number of families being allocated their first choice of Devon secondary school places for September. New figures show that 93.5 per cent of families have been offered their first preference.

One of Devon County Councils cross-party task groups says that there is only ‘one chance’ to get end-of-life care right and has made a series of recommendations to help drive up the standards in Devon.