Devon County Council

RGB Building Supplies recently donated painting accessories to a team of volunteers who brightened up a courtyard belonging to Exeter-based Learn to Live 19-25, an organisation which supports young adults who have learning disabilities, physical difficulties or complex needs.

The group of volunteers, made up of apprentices from Devon County Council’s Leadership Support Team, asked the students from Learn to Live 19-25, which is based at the Ellen Tinkham School, what they would like to see painted on the fence in their courtyard. The students asked for a country field scene, as...

The launch of the ambitious “Saving Devon’s Treescapes” project has been marked by the planting of its first trees.

Backed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Devon County Council and others, the initiative forms part of Devon’s efforts to address the huge loss of trees as a result of ash dieback. More than 90% of Devon’s native ash trees are expected to be lost due to ash dieback in the next five to 15 years.

Saving Devon’s Treescapes aims to support local communities to plant and nurture 250,000 trees across the county over the next five years - with a particular...

Devon’s Deputy Director of Public Health has issued guidance to commuters and other car sharers as they head back to work or are out and about.

With people asked not to use public transport if possible, some are opting to share lifts to work with friends and colleagues. Young people might also be sharing lifts to places during the holiday period.

Steve Brown, Devon’s Deputy Director of Public Health and Vice Chair of the county’s multi-agency COVID-19 Health Protection Board , said:

“The best travel options are walking and cycling, rather than sitting in an...

Devon County Council is preparing to submit its bid for the second round of Emergency Active Travel Funding by the end of next week (Friday 7 August).

Devon is bidding for around £1.3 million to create more permanent schemes that provide extra space for pedestrians and cyclists in order provide alternatives to public transport and to improve safety and encourage more active travel.

The authority successfully bid for all of the £338,000 allocation available to Devon in the first tranche – funding a series of temporary “pop-up” measures which have been installed in Exeter...

As schools close for the summer and the holiday season gets fully underway, the South West is calling on residents and visitors alike to play their part in keeping the region COVID-safe this summer.

Following the opening up of the hospitality and tourist sector two weeks ago, levels of infection and new cases in the South West have continued to remain among the lowest in the country – and South West leaders paid tribute to the businesses which have opened up for playing their part in keeping the area COVID-safe.

We are now entering the crucial time at the start of the...

Local arrangements to keep a sharp look out for any potential new outbreaks of coronavirus in Devon, and take swift and decisive action to tackle and contain them when necessary, are now up and running. Devon’s Local Outbreak Engagement Board, known as Team Devon, and the local COVID-19 Health Protection Board met for the first time this week. Chaired by Devon County Council’s Leader, Cllr John Hart, the Outbreak Engagement Board’s make-up is expansive, including representatives from across Devon’s local business, tourism, schools and further education, communities and the voluntary...

Devon is ‘in a good position’ if a local outbreak occurs, following sustained low numbers of positive COVID-19 cases and steady flow of quality data, says Devon’s Director of Public Health.

Dr Virginia Pearson was answering questions at Devon County Council’s Cabinet meeting on Wednesday (July 8) on the Local Outbreak Management Plan.

The plan is a blueprint which details how any future outbreaks of the virus in Devon would be managed and how its transmission would be contained.

It involves local organisations including the NHS, local authorities, emergency...

New measures to contain and reduce cases of coronavirus in Devon and safeguard the health of local people have been revealed.

They detail plans to provide a fast response to any future outbreaks of the virus across the county and help prevent it spreading.

The plans involve close partnership working between local organisations like health, councils, police, schools and care homes alongside businesses and key industries such as tourism.

And they will provide additional support for people who are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 such as the elderly, those with...

New temporary traffic calming measures to support social distancing and provide a safer environment to encourage walking and cycling in Exeter are now in place. The changes are the first set of traffic calming measures along the E3 cycle route linking Heavitree and Whipton to the City Centre. The route also passes close to four primary schools, a secondary school as well as local parks.

The changes also include temporary traffic order preventing through traffic in several roads.

These include Vaughan Road, from the junction with Clifford Close to the junction with Bodley...

Temporary “street cafe” licences are being introduced by Devon County Council to help hospitality businesses to re-open in the coming weeks, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions continue to ease.

Although a large number of cafes and pubs currently remain closed, many are already planning for when they are able to re-open.

Tables and chairs on paved or pedestrianised areas that are public highway, are among the ways cafes and pubs can help customers to maintain social distancing guidelines. Although it remains the applicants’ responsibility to assess the layout of its...