Woodbury Parish Council has received the prestigious award of ‘Quality Council’ as part of the Local Council Award Scheme.
This achievement recognises that the council achieves good practice in governance, community engagement and council improvement. Moreover, Woodbury Parish Council goes above and beyond their legal obligations, leading their communities and continuously seeking opportunities to improve and develop even further.
The Award Scheme report highlighted the council’s particular areas of strength, including its community engagement through planning Ward Councillor surgeries, community consultations as well as Governance.
The Local Council Award Scheme is a National programme that has been designed to both provide the tools and encouragement to those councils at the beginning of their improvement journeys, as well as promoting and recognising councils that are at the cutting edge of the sector. It is through the sector working together to share best practice, drive up standards and supporting those who are committed to improving their offer to their communities that individual councils and the sector as a whole will reach its full potential.
In terms of the future, the council is now reviewing ways in which it can keep on improving its offer to the local community and welcomes input from local people and partners on this. Woodbury Parish Council, and other local councils like it, are at the front line of the government’s localism agenda and are doing as much as they can to delivery services whilst being efficient and cost-effective. Currently the council provides a range of services from maintaining parks and open spaces to providing community grants and wants to improve its engagement with the public through this.
The BMP, produced with South West Flood and Coastal, the Environment Agency and AECOM, says ageing defences, rising seas and climate change raise risk. Without action, Exmouth could face £800m in flood, erosion and beach-loss damage in 100 years.
Running from November 2025 to March 2026, the programme teaches children how reducing food waste helps the environment and why using their food waste caddy at home is important.
New rules mean all postal vote applications are now only valid for a maximum of three years.
Those who applied for a postal vote before 30 January 2024, will need to reapply by 31 January 2026 to continue voting by post.
Despite knowing its listed status—and having consent only for limited works—Mr Bruce Philipps oversaw the wholesale stripping of the historic interior, taking the building back to bare brick and removing floors down to the earth.
Devon County Council has won praise from Ofsted for big improvements in care-leaver services. Leader Julian Brazil says the endorsement shows the progress made since the new administration made children its top priority after May’s elections.
Developers plan 800+ student and co-living apartments on Exeter’s old police station and magistrates court site, claiming past planning issues are resolved. The seven-block scheme could be approved at the city council planning meeting on 8 December.
Over 50 homes are planned for the ‘Topsham Gap’ after planners agreed they would be out of sight. Heritage Developments will build 54 houses on the former Topsham Golf Academy driving range off Exeter Road, having previously developed nearby Berkeley Park.
Assistant Chief Constable Dave Thorne said the digital evidence system aims to deliver faster results for crime victims. Since introducing NiCE Investigate in summer, police have completed over 1,600 business requests and 12,000 citizen requests.
Come along and join our RNLI volunteers to enjoy an service of traditional carols, readings, and a special performance by Red Rock A Cappella.
All are welcome ...