A public consultation is set to be launched on ways to improve air quality and cut congestion in Exeter. The Draft Exeter City Council Air Quality Action Plan 2018-2023 contains a wide range of proposals to reduce exposure to air pollution and improve health and quality of life.

It aims to discourage private car use and increase use of public transport, cycling and walking. Businesses will be supported in changing travel habits and reducing emissions. Proposed measures include:

• Supporting a significant upgrade to public transport provision, including a single
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Officers are appealing for information following an assault at Digby and Sowton railway station in Exeter on New Year’s Eve.

At around 9.30pm on Sunday 31 December, a woman was waiting for a train at the station when she was approached by an unknown man. He assaulted her, shoving her to the ground.

The assault is believed to have been completely unprovoked. It left the victim with a bump to the back of her head, and cuts on her hands and knees.

A number of people on the station intervened, including many fans who had been attending an Exeter Chiefs rugby game....

More than 660 homes and businesses in Starcross and Cockwood will be better protected from coastal flooding as work starts (8 January 2018) on a new £4 million flood scheme.

In Starcross the Environment Agency will install two new floodgates at Church Road and Generals Lane slipway. They will also raise the car park levels at the Fishing and Cruising Club.

In Cockwood the harbour wall will be improved with a raised level along Dawlish Road in line with predicted sea level rises. Work is expected to take around six months and be finished by summer.

An Environment...

A grant scheme to support rural businesses in Mid and East Devon is being expanded to support more applications from the farming community.

The LEADER REAL (Rural Enterprise and Local Livelihoods) Devon programme, which is being overseen by Devon County Council, is providing £1.2 million to boost the rural economy and generate new jobs. So far, £400,000 has been allocated in support of 17 businesses – and more applications are being sought. In particular, the eligibility of items for farmers now encompasses more capital equipment. Applications for grants could include equipment and...

A man has been seriously injured following a collision in Kenton on Friday 5 January 2018.

The incident happened at approximately 6.20pm on unclassified road near Black Forest Lodge in Kenton and involved an Isuzu pick-up vehicle.

The vehicle collided with trees resulting in the driver, a man in his 30s, becoming trapped in the vehicle.

Ambulance, Police and Specialist Fire and Rescue crews attended the scene and the man was taken to hospital with life-changing injuries.

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident and ask anyone with information to...

South West businesses plan to increase recruitment in the coming year despite a dip in confidence, according to the latest Business in Britain report from Lloyds Bank. Business confidence in the South West – calculated as an average of respondents’ expected sales, orders and profits over the next six months – fell to 19 per cent compared with 27 per cent in July 2017. However, the net balance of firms looking to hire more staff rose by 21 points to 17 per cent, compared with July 2017, while the net balance of businesses expecting to increase investment held firm at five per cent. And the...

Free From February is the 28-day ‘give it up' challenge from CEDA who in 2018 are celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Going free from one of your biggest vices is based on research that if you can stop doing something for 28-days, you are five times more likely to be able to cut it out or reduce it for good.

CEDA is inviting people to go ‘free from’ whatever they choose and get sponsored for doing so.

CEDA Marketing Manager Craig Bowden said “Free From February gives people the opportunity to challenge themselves to give up something they will find difficult…. It...

Monday 8th January sees the largest amount of divorce enquiries compared to any other day, with financial pressures (22%), especially over Christmas, cited as leading reason for increased relationship tensions.

Rows about money could cause more than one in 10 married couples to split in 2018, a new study shows – as divorce lawyers prepare for their busiest day of the year.

Twenty-two per cent of people have considered separating or divorcing their partner, with family finances cited as the main reason for relationships falling apart.

One in five (21 per cent) blame...

Thousands of people in Devon have signed up to take part in high-quality research, accelerating meaningful benefits to patient health.

The Exeter 10,000 project has reached a milestone of 10,000 people providing their data and samples of blood and urine which are used anonymously for health research.

The majority of participants also agree to be contacted again if their health or lifestyle profiles match the requirements of future research studies. This means researchers can move swiftly from identifying a specific health research question, to recruiting large numbers of...

LEADING Exeter health and wellbeing charity, CITY Community Trust, is raising its profile in the business community with the appointment of new development manager Craig Townsend.

The organisation, which is Exeter City Football Club’s partner charity and was formerly known as Football in the Community, has recently undergone a name change to more accurately reflect the work it is delivering across the greater Exeter area.

The charity provides a range of activities to people of all ages, focussed on health, education, wellbeing and physical activity. With the appointment of...