Exmouth Town Council is celebrating the achievement of its long-standing ambition to run the Town Hall, providing a community hub for residents, businesses, and local groups going forwards.
Recognising a change to their requirements, East Devon District Council (EDDC) has worked collaboratively with Exmouth Town Council to explore ways to repurpose the building for the benefit of the community. The building will be sold to the Town Council and with an orderly move of staff out of the building enabling a more public facing future for the Town Hall.
District Council customers will continue to be able to access services from the Town Hall with a dedicated free telephone line to connect to the most appropriate team, creating a more responsive and direct route to the services they need. Pre- arranged in-person appointments will still be available across the district.
As East Devon’s largest town, a flexible space that can be booked for a range of meetings and events for community-oriented groups, has been a key goal for residents. The Town Hall’s central location, and its use for Town Council meetings, also make it a natural home for resident engagement, whether that is through consultations, drop-in events, or partnership work.
Councillor Graham Deasy, Mayor of Exmouth, and Town Councillor for Littleham, said:
“I am very pleased to say that the return of the Town Hall to local ownership fulfils the wishes expressed by an overwhelming majority of our residents in the Neighbourhood Plan.
The Town Hall is far more than bricks and mortar. Located in the heart of Exmouth, it gives us a focal point and a symbol of our shared identity. By bringing it back under the stewardship of Exmouth Town Council, we are safeguarding an important civic building, while strengthening our ability to deliver services and support community activities.
I extend my thanks to the officers of East Devon District Council, our Town Clerk Lisa Bowman, and all District and Town Councillors whose cooperation will make this possible. This is a positive outcome for all parties.
At a time when the future of local government remains uncertain, this investment ensures a secure and welcoming home for community groups and organisations, and will provide a town centre venue for meetings and events that serve our residents.”
Councillor Paul Hayward, EDDC’s Portfolio Holder for Assets and Economy, said: “I’d like to congratulate Exmouth Town Council, and I look forward to seeing how they enhance this important community space. Encouraging people to visit and use their Town Hall, will help support businesses, with increased footfall in the town-centre all year round. These economic benefits are one of the key objectives in our Placemaking Plan.”
Overnight closures are planned on the A377 at Cowley Bridge, on the outskirts of Exeter.
The section of the road from the junction with St Andrews Road to Cowley Bridge will be closed on weeknights from 8pm-6am between Tuesday 10 March and Tuesday 24 March for resurfacing work. It will be fully open during the daytime.
For approximately the first week of work, although the road will be closed overnight between St Andrews Road and Cowley Bridge, the roundabout will remain open with temporary traffic lights in place. This will allow access to the A396 Stoke Road and Wrefords Drive to be maintained. There may be some delays, so please allow extra time for your journey.
During the second week of the scheme the overnight closures will continue between St Andrews Road and Cowley Bridge from 8pm-6am, but with Cowley Bridge roundabout also closed from 10pm to 6am.
St. Andrews Road junction will be closed most of the nights.
The scheme schedule may change as the work is weather dependent. Variable Message Signs (VMS) in the area will display the specific dates for the roundabout closures.
Access for emergency vehicles will be maintained at all times
Police have thanked licensees in South Devon after another recent successful Pubs Against Drugs operation.
Officers visited six pubs across Ivybridge, Yealmpton and Kingsbridge on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 February with police drugs dog Skye to make checks and deter any customers who might be tempted into criminal activity.
Devon & Cornwall Police local neighbourhood officers, working with licensing officers, volunteer Special Constables and the specialist dog handler, spoke to pub staff and carried out ten stop searches on members of the public.
We are happy to report that no drugs were seized from anyone at licensed premises in Ivybridge and Yealmpton
A local 21 year old man was arrested in Kingsbridge on suspicion of possession with intent to supply class B drugs. Officers also seized a quantity of cash from the man.
The man was released from custody on Sunday 1 March and is on bail while enquiries continue. A knife was also seized from a man at a pub in Ivybridge.
Sergeant Charlie Wilkes said: “Our officers and the drugs dog were very well received in the majority of pubs and the staff were very welcoming and supportive. These are positive operations which act as a deterrent for drug use and can help disrupt criminality. We would like to pass on our enormous thanks for everyone’s hard work and enthusiasm and we will be planning further operations of this kind in the future.”
Anyone who has information about drug dealing in their community can report it to police by calling 101 or visiting the Force website Home | Devon & Cornwall Police
To receive free regular updates from your local officers why not sign up to Devon & Cornwall Police Community Messaging. This two-way information system allows the Force to connect with communities and offers crime prevention advice to your inbox, as well as diary dates for events where you can meet your local officers. Find out more here Home Page – Devon and Cornwall Community Messaging
You can also follow Ivybridge & Rural Police and Kingsbridge Police on Facebook.
Trading standards has now closed two more shops for selling illegal tobacco; and that makes 25 since July.
Trading Standards and police have once again joined forces to protect local communities by shutting down two more shops for selling illegal tobacco.
JR Mini Market in Bank Street, Teignmouth, and KA Mini Market in Hyde Road, Paignton, have both been closed for three months after joint action by Devon & Cornwall Police and Heart of the South West Trading Standards.
Trading standards have now closed 25 shops in their service area, Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay, in the last nine months for selling illegal tobacco.
The closures follow intelligence and reports gathered by trading standards with the police applying for closure orders through the courts.
Both shops are now required to remain shut for three months.
The closure orders were granted at Newton Abbot Magistrates Court on Monday 23 February and can be extended if necessary.
Alex Fry, operations manager from Heart of the South West Trading Standards added: “Combatting the supply of illegal tobacco and vapes is a high priority for us. They are often sold at cheaper prices and the sellers are unlikely to care who they sell them to making them accessible to children.
The illegal trade brings criminality into the high street and by stopping the sale of these products we aim to help protect our communities as well as supporting those businesses that trade legally.”
Inspector Pete Giesens, who covers Paignton and Brixham, said: “We want the public to know that we do listen to their concerns and we will take action. Local neighbourhood officers have been working hard to gather evidence and prepare for court, alongside our partners at Trading Standards.
“We will not tolerate businesses choosing to profit from unlawful activity, and those who continue to trade illegally should expect robust action.”
Investigations into the shops remain ongoing by Trading Standards, working alongside police colleagues.
The daughter of a pedestrian who died following a collision in Colyford, Devon, in December 2025 has paid tribute to a “generous and spiritual person” who devoted much of her time to helping others.
Officers were called at 8am on Monday 15 December to a collision in Swan Hill Road involving a red Nissan Micra and a pedestrian.
The pedestrian sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital.
Sadly, she died at Southmead Hospital in Bristol on Wednesday 17 December.
The pedestrian has been named as Mary Teresa Jones.
Mary’s daughter Paula has paid a powerful tribute to her.
She said: “My mum Mary was 79 years young and led an active and energetic life.
“She enjoyed walking the dogs, tending her garden, socialising with family and friends and was a regular attendee at St Michaels Church in Colyford – a village she had lived in for almost 40 years.
“She was a very kind, generous and spiritual person and throughout her life she devoted much of her time to helping others.
“She always volunteered to lend a hand at church functions, she looked out for her elderly friends in the village, baked apple pies for the Colyford Goose Fayre every year and went to the Colyford Memory Café on a Wednesday to give something back to a group of very special people who supported her during my father’s cognitive decline.
“Mum was a supporter of many different charities and marked her 75th birthday with a Skydive in aid of Parkinson’s UK as my dad sadly suffered from this debilitating disease.
“She was given the opportunity by BBC Devon to talk about the experience, something she enjoyed immensely.
“Mary was an advocate for organ donation, and we were all incredibly proud that she gave other people the opportunity for a better life by donating her liver kidneys and corneas.
“We all miss mum so very much. Her death has left a huge gap in our lives and we hope that her traumatic, tragic and untimely death will result in much needed improvements in road safety for the villagers of Colyford, as I would hate for anyone else’s family to go through what we are currently experiencing as a family.”
A local man has been interviewed in relation to the incident and released under investigation.
Officers are continuing to appeal for any witnesses or anyone with relevant dashcam footage who has not yet spoken to police to get in touch.
Please contact police via our website or by calling 101, quoting log 123 of 15 December.
There is now just a week to go before many areas of Plymouth begin to benefit from weekly food waste collections.
The service will start for many homes in Devonport, Keyham, Plympton, Plymstock, Southway, Stoke, Tamerton Foliot and Whitleigh from Monday 2 March with the rest of the city following in four more phases before the end of the year.
Residents in the first phase are now being encouraged to start filling their new internal caddies with items such as fruit and vegetable peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds and plate scrapings in time for their first collection next week.
Councillor Tom Briars-Delve, Cabinet Member for the Environment and Climate Change, said: “It’s really exciting to be just a few days away from Plymouth’s first ever food waste collection round.
“Over the past few weeks, our teams have been meeting residents across the city and we know many people are already filling their bin ready for us to get started.
“These weekly collections will bring big benefits to the city by increasing our recycling rates, reducing emissions and helping families save money as they become more aware of the amount of food they throw away.”
Over the last month, residents in the first phase have been provided with a small kitchen caddy to make separating food waste from your rubbish easy, a roll of liners and a larger outdoor caddy for storing your food waste and putting it out for collection.
Some residents who live in flats, apartment blocks or houses of multiple occupation have been provided with a communal external bin, instead of individual outdoor caddies.
After collection, the food waste will be processed at a local anaerobic digestion plant. Anaerobic digestion uses bacteria to break down organic matter into a methane rich gas. This is then used to create fertiliser and electricity.
Residents are being asked to help shape Devon’s future after the Government launched its consultation on Local Government Reorganisation in the county.
Four proposals have been submitted in response to the Government’s call for clearer, more streamlined structures to replace Devon’s current two-tier system with a new set of unitary councils.
Among these is a joint submission from Exeter City Council and Plymouth City Council. The two cities have presented a single shared vision for a simpler, stronger and more efficient model of local government.
There is consensus across all Devon proposals that moving from the two-tier system to unitary government is the right approach.
The Exeter and Plymouth proposal sets out how this can be achieved through four unitary councils, each able to focus on the particular needs of the communities they serve.
It aims to make things fairer, easier to navigate and more logical, with services designed around the way people actually live, work and travel across Devon.
Under the proposal, Devon would be served by four unitary councils, each with the scale and coherence to deliver high-quality services close to communities:
An expanded Exeter: Exeter plus 49 surrounding parishes from Teignbridge, East Devon and Mid Devon, forming a single unitary built around one of Britain’s fastest growing cities, with the capacity to plan strategically for housing, transport and economic development.
An expanded Plymouth: Plymouth plus 13 parishes from South Hams, creating a stronger authority serving communities that already rely on the city for employment, education and healthcare and giving Plymouth the scale to compete nationally and drive growth.
An expanded Torbay: Torbay plus 21 nearby parishes, continuing as an integrated authority with proven success in delivering joined up services, including nationally recognised children’s services.
Devon Coast and Countryside: A new council specifically designed for rural and coastal communities, tailored to the needs of dispersed populations, market towns and isolated areas.
The model has been shaped through extensive work by both councils and reflects a shared ambition for a more coherent, efficient and futureproofed system.
For more information and to take part in the Government’s consultation, go to www.devonLGR.co.uk.
More information is also available on the council’s website exeter.gov.uk/lgr
Two people have been sentenced for their parts in a conspiracy to supply drugs into the South West.
Jacqueline Clark, 56, was sentenced to two years in jail and Ian Johnson, 53, for one year and 50 weeks in prison, both suspended for two years, when they appeared at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 27 February.
Clark, of Penny Meadow Road, Bridford, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to supply cannabis and Possession with Intent to Supply MDMA and was convicted of conspiring to supply cocaine and possessing cannabis resin with intent to supply it.
Johnson, of Cranesbill Way, Newton Abbot, was convicted of conspiring with his co-defendants to supply cannabis, possession of a prohibited weapon, namely a .22 Colt Rimfire Revolver.
He was also convicted on two charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice relating to incidents in June 2020 and September 2023.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of ammunition for a firearm.
The majority of the charges relate to incidents between 1 January 2020 and 1 May 2020.
A third conspirator, Stephen Wills, 37, was previously jailed for nine years by Judge Stephen Climie at Exeter Crown Court on 13 March 2025, which was later increased following an appeal by the prosecution to the Court of Appeal on 6 June 2025 to 14 Years for his role in another case.
Wills, of West End Road, Buckfastleigh, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to supply cocaine, conspiring to supply cannabis, possession of ammunition for a firearm and possession of a firearm, both when prohibited to do so and possession of a prohibited, automatic, weapon, and was sentenced as part of the hearing in March 2025.
The court heard that on Friday 1 May 2020 soon after 11am, Wills was stopped while driving a white Nissan Navara on the A38 near Ivybridge, Devon
The vehicle was searched, and 1kg of gun powder, and other component parts of ammunition were located within it. A fixed blade knife was also located in his glovebox.
Wills was arrested and a search was carried out of his home address at Bridford.
As the search was underway, Johnson arrived at the Bridford location in possession of a small handgun, which he claimed was decommissioned. Ammunition, as well as was items connected to growing cannabis, were found in his vehicle.
Subsequent testing of the handgun identified that it was a fully operational S5 firearm, and 38 bullets seized from his vehicle could be used in this weapon.
Johnson was arrested at his home address on the 6 May for this offence. A search of his home and business address located further ammunition and firearm parts.
Further searches located a number of weapons, including a semi-automatic American army assault rifle, a shotgun and two rifles, as well as ammunition.
Another building at Bridford contained a young but sophisticated cannabis grow where there were 24 and the lighting and fan systems were fully operational.
Evidence at the scene linked both Wills and Johnson to it.
Just over a kilo of cocaine was found at the site with a street value of £84,560, together with two sets of scales and a vacuum pressing machine.
Also arriving at the Bridford address on 1 May was Clark, whose home address nearby was also searched.
This search found more than a kilo of cannabis with a street value of nearly £10,000 and two blocks of cannabis resin with a street value over £500.
Johnson was also convicted of two offences of perverting the course of justice.
On 22 June 2020 and again on 25 September 2023, he claimed to have received threatening text messages purporting to be from other conspirators – the jury found these to be false claims and that on the second occasion he had purchased the phone from which the message was sent himself and had possession of the phone at the time the message was sent.
This was done in order to try to support his false claim that he had been pressured to become involved in the cannabis grow and to obtain the handgun.
Sitting at a hearing at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 27 February, Judge Anna Richardson sentenced Clark to two years in jail, suspended for two years and ordered her to do 15 rehabilitative activity days, with other sentences to be served concurrently.
She sentenced Johnson to one year and 50 weeks in jail, suspended for two years and ordered him to do 30 rehabilitative activity days, with other sentences to be served concurrently.
Detective Superintendent Ben Davies said: “This was a complex and large-scale investigation into the supply of large quantities of Class A and B drugs within the region and the possession of a number of illegally held lethal firearms.
“I commend the professionalism and dedication of Devon and Cornwall Police’s Serious and Organised Crime Unit for the lengths they have gone to ensuring that the organised crime group were identified, arrested and convicted and the removal of drugs and firearms from our streets.
“This investigation started during the national Covid pandemic which brought challenging conditions to both the teams and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
“I thank the CPS and those working within the Complex Case Unit for their continued support in making our communities across the region safer.
“As a force, we will continue to pursue organised crime groups to protect the communities they target.
“If anyone sees any drug-dealing activity, they can report it with confidence to the police or Crimestoppers so that it can be investigated and stopped, and those involved brought to justice.”
• If you have been affected by the above article, you can access information on drug and alcohol support on the following link: www.dc.police.uk/drugs-alcohol-support
You can also visit the Frank website to find local drug treatment services.
If you have been affected by crime, please visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system. You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900.
This Government is continuing to invest in Britain’s future, building a stronger economy, rebuilding our public services, and improving our living standards.
We’re tackling the cost of living by taking £150 off family energy bills this year, freezing rail fares and prescription charges, delivering 30 hours of funded childcare every week, and raising 550,000 children out of poverty – including roughly 1360 here in Exeter.
The Tories crashed the economy with Liz Truss, driving up inflation and interest rates – destroying the value of the pound in our pockets. The forecasts today show that under this government inflation will keep falling, interest rates will keep falling, and wages are up more in 18 months under this government than in the first ten years of the Tories. This means more money in people’s pockets and living standards continue to rise for people in Exeter.
While the Tories and Reform offer more cuts and austerity, and the Greens promise unfunded spending sprees, I’m pleased that the Government is focused on the priorities of people in Exeter – growing the economy, fixing the public services we all rely on, and raising living standards for everyone.
A new bid has been lodged to transform the former Wonford Inn in Exeter into a single dwelling, less than two years after councillors blocked controversial proposals to demolish the building and replace it with flats.
The latest application seeks permission for the “change of use of the ground floor from Public House to Residential” at the Wonford Inn, 17 Wonford Street. According to the Design and Access Statement, the proposal relates solely to internal alterations within the existing building.
The document states: “Works are limited to internal reconfiguration to provide appropriate living accommodation and associated facilities.”
It adds: “No extensions, external alterations, or changes to access arrangements are proposed.”
The site, which measures approximately 908sqm, is located on Wonford Street, close to the RD&E Hospital and around 1.4 miles from the city centre, with bus connections across Exeter and Devon . The only access is from Wonford Street along the western boundary, with residential terraced houses to the north and south and a retaining wall forming the eastern boundary.
The building, originally constructed in 1790 as a private house known as Oakbear Cottage, became a public house in 1866. It closed in September 2023 after what the statement describes as the final owner struggling to keep it afloat. The document says that when it was put up for sale “there was no further interest from purchasers to keep it open as a public house.”
The application notes that the site is currently a “derelict pub” and refers to a number of “poorly built extensions” added over the years.
The new submission follows two refused schemes that proposed demolishing the existing buildings and constructing apartment blocks.
In July 2024, councillors rejected plans for a three-storey block of flats after mass objections. Planners described the scheme as “harmful” and an “overdevelopment” of the site and said it would lead to the loss of a valued community asset.
The refusal notice stated: “It has not been demonstrated that the continued use of the building as a community facility is no longer viable or required, including for alternative uses that would meet Exeter’s community, social, health, welfare, education, spiritual, cultural, leisure and recreation needs.
“As a result, the council cannot grant consent for this scheme and be certain that it has fulfilled its duty to guard against the unnecessary loss of a valued facility/ service.”
Other reasons for refusal included the “harmful” impact of the size, massing, position and layout, as well as “poor” design. The decision notice added: “The proposed building would present an unsympathetic form of development that would be detrimental to the character, appearance and overall quality of the local townscape.”
By contrast, the current proposal does not seek to alter the building’s footprint or height. The statement says: “The development does not increase the building’s footprint or height. It represents the re-use of existing floorspace, supporting efficient use of the built environment in line with sustainable development principles.”
It also emphasises that there would be “no changes to the scale or massing of the building” and that the “existing architectural character and materials are retained”.
Existing access arrangements would remain in place, with pedestrian access via the current entrance from Wonford Street. No additional landscaping is proposed and there are no areas of vegetation on the site.
On sustainability, the statement concludes: “The proposal reuses an existing building and requires no additional land take. The re-use of previously developed floorspace supports sustainable development objectives by reducing construction impacts and supporting efficient use of existing infrastructure.”
