As the summer draws to a close our rangers in East Devon are starting to plan the practical habitat management tasks for nature conservation over the winter, including hedge-laying, scrub clearance and coppicing.
They are looking for people to join their team of volunteers who carry out this work. No experience is necessary as full training will be given and all tools are provided. A love for the countryside and ability to work outdoors, sometimes in the rain, is all they ask for.
From October until the end of March there is the opportunity for people to come and volunteer...
Spectators have 85 miles (137km) of Devon’s roads to choose from when it comes to being part of the 10th anniversary Tour of Britain in the county on Friday 20 September.
Devon County Council will host Stage Six of The Tour, starting in Sidmouth and finishing at Haytor, in Dartmoor National Park.
Crowds are being tipped to exceed last year’s record of 220,000 spectators that lined the route in Devon, and the advice is to leave plenty of time to travel to where you’re planning to watch the action, in order to avoid delays. Among the world class teams taking part are Sky Pro...
High demand for premises from small firms has seen East Devon District Council let all its available business units over the last month.
Four units have been taken up in Axminster at Millwey Rise with the new firms trading including commercial vehicle agents for Italian car manufacturer Piaggio, a fishing bait manufacturer, a caravan refurbishment business and a glazier.
In Seaton a car cleaning and valeting business has moved into the one of the Riverside Workshops whilst in Sidmouth a unit at the Manstone Workshops has just been taken on by a bespoke carpenter and joiner...
The Show is now over 50 years old and the excitement on show day is still evident the minute the hall opens. There are 97 classes to enter with 18 cups to win, including the peoples choice for adults and children. There were some new trophies this year in memory of local residents who have passed away including the Paul Palmer photo frame for best photograph, and the Ruby Cooke Cup. Ruby was a committee member for 50 years and always entered the cookery and flower classes.
Here is this years list of winners, TROPHY WINNERS FOR 2013
According to research by money-saving taxi app, TaxiTastic ( www.taxitastic.co.uk ), East Devon is the most expensive place in England to leave the taxi meter running, costing £28 an hour, compared to low rates such as £6 in Redcar and Cleveland. The figures are based on data from the Hackney rate cards from each of the 363 borough councils across the UK. With a huge 2,500% variation in taxi waiting time charges across the country, it pays to know the rates for the area you’re in to avoid stacking up high fares when stuck in traffic or leaving the taxi waiting as you take an extra five...
Professional event rider Helen West, who recently took over the management of equestrian venue Bicton Arena in East Devon, has said measures have been taken to ensure the going is safe at its British Eventing competition (August 17 – 18).
The long, dry hot spell has resulted in hard ground across the UK, but water will be added to all the courses during the week prior to the event and it will also be aggravated.
Helen said: “As an event rider myself, I know how important it is that the ground is safe for horses to run on and in light of that we will be pulling out all the...
Residents in Sidmouth have been helping shape redevelopment plans for their library.
A recent consultation, which attracted more than 300 responses, aimed to gather the view of residents on how they would like to see the library facilities improved, including what services and activities should be on offer.
Comments and suggestions were looked at carefully, and the designs have been amended to reflect the consultation responses.
The results showed lots of support for improving access for children, young people and their families and plans include moving the children...
Delegates from East Devon’s Town and Parish Councils turned out in force for a Community Flood Forum event run by EDDC.
The District Council decided to organise the event after hearing from several Town and Parish Councils that it was something they would find useful. The aim of the forum was to give information to Town and Parish Councils on how to prepare for flooding, and how all the agencies involved could help them.
After the conference on Tuesday 23 July Councillor Peter Bowden, EDDC’s Champion for Flood Prevention, said: “Flooding is an issue that has been...
There have been significant algal blooms along a stretch of the South Devon coast for several weeks now. This is a common and natural phenomenon, which develops well in very warm weather, say the Environmental Health team at East Devon District Council.
The algae have been identified by the Environment Agency, who advise that they are essentially harmless. It is safe to swim in the sea when the bloom is present, but often people choose not to because it has a slimy feel and causes the water to be somewhat murky and odorous. Many people in Sidmouth particularly noticed a strong...
