East Devon Radio

Police investigating a road traffic collision involving three vehicles at Wilmington, near Honiton, on the A35 on Monday 13th September are appealing for any witnesses to come forward. Officers were called to reports of a road traffic collision involving a Honda motorbike, a silver Nissan car and a DAF articulated lorry, at around 1.15pm. Emergency services attended the scene and the motorbike rider, a man in his 50s from Hampshire, sustained serious injuries and was airlifted by Devon Air Ambulance to Southampton General Hospital.

Around 500 care home staff in Devon have not yet had a covid jab, a new report estimates. The number is around five per cent of total care home staff in the county who will need to be fully vaccinated by Thursday 11 November if they want to continue working in care homes, unless they are exempt.

Only two Exeter properties are so far being made available to Afghan refugees, after a response to the city council’s appeal for homes turned up few that were suitable. District authorities across Devon are working with the county council to house families who fled the Taliban this summer. Up to 20,000 refugees will eventually be resettled in the UK, but it could take years and it is unknown how many will move to the county.

All residents are urged to check their gas appliances and encourage others to do so during Gas Safety Week this week. A gazebo will be set up in Princesshay throughout the day on Thursday 16 September. Liberty - the Council’s gas contractors - and members of the Council’s Housing Compliance team will be on hand to give information and answer any questions. Gas Safety Week is an annual safety week to raise awareness of gas safety and the importance of taking care of your gas appliances.

Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Crash Box & Classic Car Club of Devon will be hosting the Sidmouth Classic Car Show 2021 on Saturday 18 September at Sidmouth Cricket Club. The Cricket Pavilion is a lovely place for a cream tea or a local ale and will be open all day. There will be 300 cars on display and entertainment this year from 12 noon to 4pm is by City Steam Jazz and The Liberty Sisters (Vintage Vocal Harmony Singers).

A new fund designed to help local firms prosper has been launched today (14th September) by East Devon District Council (EDDC), following approval from Cabinet on 8 September 2021.  The Innovation and Resilience Fund (formerly known as Adaptation, Innovation and Resilience (AIR) Fund) has more than £2m available and is made up of £1.08m government funding and £1m match-funded by EDDC from its business rates retention scheme pilot.

Covid cases continue to fall across much of Devon but have risen in Torbay and Torridge. Government figures for the week to Thursday 9 September show infections dropped by 14 per cent in the Devon County Council area and 10 per cent Plymouth, but that Torbay’s rate is up six per cent.

Botanical artwork made by 150 children and adults and displayed at Exmouth's Manor Gardens have been vandalised. The artwork was put up on Tuesday, 7 September in the bandstand at Manor Gardens. Officers were disappointed to find the ruined display in a mess, after only one day of it being up. Anyone with any information is asked to call the police on 101.

The construction phase has begun and is expected to be completed by the end of October, after 21 weeks work. The park will accommodate people of all ages and abilities. It allows newcomers to learn and develop as well as having extremely technical sections that will engage and test competent riders. There really is something for everyone!

Drivers parking in East Devon car parks won't be able to use cash to buy 'pay and display' tickets in the coming days.  East Devon District Council has apologised for the inconvenience this has caused and thanked residents and visitors alike for their understanding and patience. The issues have arisen following an unexpected announcement today (Friday, 10 September) regarding EDDC's long standing cash collection contractor which has ceased trading. 

Whoever has BORROWED the defibrillator from outside the Beach Pub on Exmouth seafront please can you replace it, or at least drop it back to the pub! The cabinet has been forced open and the defibrillator is now missing. The money for the unit was raised via charity events and supported by residents, the unit costs £1,500 and it is available for all to use.

Devon & Cornwall Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information in connection with a report of theft of a tractor guidance system from a tractor which was in the area of Woodbury, Exeter. This took place at approximately 1.10am on Thursday 9 September 2021. They have received several reports of this type of theft recently. Please can those with guidance systems review their security, remove similar items if possible and please consider marking property and keeping a note of serial numbers.

Healthwatch in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay want to hear about your recent experiences of using NHS 111 to make sure that you are getting the care and support you need. NHS 111 is there to support you and direct you to the best medical care when it’s not an emergency. It’s vital that the service meets your needs and delivers high standards of care.

Boxes brimming with fruit and veg are being given away to 2,500 Devon families. Devon Public Health are running an initiative this autumn to raise awareness of the national Healthy Start scheme. Healthy Start provides eligible pregnant women and families with children under 4 with financial support for fruit and veg, pulses, cows’ milk, and infant formula, as well as free vitamins. Only about 50 per cent of those eligible in Devon are currently signed up.

More residents whose homes have decreased in value because of the proximity of the South Devon Highway will finally receive compensation payments. Devon County Council’s ruling cabinet approved a £5 million fund this week, which will also go towards outstanding payments from the road’s construction, including surveys and contract commitments.

Further calls have been made to extend a 30 mph speed limit along a road in Newton Abbot described as a ‘death trap’. Currently the eastern entrance to the town on Shaldon Road, just past the junction with Haytor Drive to Milber service station industrial units, has a 40 mph limit before it drops to 30 nearer the town centre.

Devon is “struggling more than ever” to recruit social workers as the county council announced a new package of measures to help fix the crisis. The council says it has a significant shortage of social workers in key areas such as support for the most vulnerable children and families, care for disabled children, and its safeguarding hub –  hampering attempts to improve children’s services.

Many of Devon’s new LED streetlights will be dimmed help reduce their potential impact on insects. Devon County Council is currently rolling out LED upgrades in residential areas and says all of its 79,000 streetlights will be converted from the traditional sodium bulbs by next year.

At approximately 22:35 hours on Monday 06th September 2021 emergency services were notified of a two-vehicle road traffic collision involving a stolen moped and a recovery vehicle on Hamelin Way, Torquay. Devon & Cornwall Police attended the incident where local man was taken to Derriford Hospital with life threatening injuries. A number of persons fled the scene following the collision.

Local authorities in Devon are putting pressure on the government to address a shortage of HGV drivers causing disruption to bin collections.

Covid cases have fallen sharply across Devon, but still remain higher than the national average in every area of the county.

The Devon health and social care system is under extreme pressure due to high demand for services and the number of staff and patients affected by COVID-19. The NHS is asking the public to help by using services wisely and doing their bit to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Covid cases have fallen in almost every part of the county, but still remain higher than the national average. The latest government figures for the seven days to Thursday 26 August show how infections fell by around a quarter in the Devon County Council area and Torbay. However, Plymouth’s total increased by 11 per cent.

The government has designated Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth, Torbay and the Isles of Scilly, an ‘enhanced response area’, in response to high case rates of coronavirus. It means additional support will be available from the government, to those areas.

To help raise awareness of the importance of post-crash care, Devon Air Ambulance are proud to be supporting an emergency services motorcade as it passes through Devon.  On Monday 13 September, we will be lending full support to the Project EDWARD ‘Fit for the Road’ campaign.  Throughout the week, we will help to showcase the importance of post-crash care, while other agencies, organisations and emergency services will promote discussion around vehicle safety, safe road use, safe speed, and safe roads and roadsides.  

The Exeter COSY Route project is a community wellbeing and dementia awareness initiative created for Exeter Dementia Action Alliance to signpost people of all abilities to routes on the edge of the city where they can walk and run.

Exmouth Town suffered their first home defeat of the season last night when they were again undone by a late late goal.

Devon County Council will host Stage Two of the 17th edition of the race on Monday 6 September, with a stella field of riders including Mark Cavendish and Wout Van Aert due to take to the start line. This year’s Devon Stage will start at 11am in Hercules Road, Sherford, and will head towards Yealmpton as it starts a loop around the South Hams before crossing Dartmoor and finishing in Queen Street in Exeter.

A giant new electronic screen at Exeter City Football Club’s ground, St James Park, is finally on the way and could be in place within weeks. As part of major improvements, the club will install a 29 x 17-feet (8.64 x 5.12 metre) LED screen towards the corner behind the St James Road away end, nearest the recently built Stagecoach Adam Stansfield Stand.

In a game of 3 penalties Jordan Harris took the lead for Town after 15 mins, but penalties either side of Half time were enough for Buckland to take all 3 points.