Sidmouth

Barton Willmore

The developers behind plans to build 2,000 new homes on the south west of Taunton say the section 106 agreements have now been formally signed off.

The plans were approved by Taunton Deane Borough Council in April 2018 subject to conditions placed on the community - obligations known as section 106 agreements.

Taunton Deane council has since been merged with West Somerset Council and is now called Somerset West and Taunton Council.

Prior to approval, the four developers, Taylor Wimpey, Bovis Homes and Summerfield Developments reduced the number of affordable homes from 500 to 350 on the grounds that the original number would not be viable.

Wednesday night will be dry and breezy at times with clear periods, though cloud will tend to thicken towards dawn.

Rather breezy on Thursday, with the odd light shower or spot of rain possible in the morning.

A generally drier afternoon with lengthier sunny spells.

Devon:

BBC

Cornwall:

BBC

One person has been injured after a car and a caravan flipped over on the A380 between Exeter and Newton Abbot.

The caravan ended up one side of the carriageway at Ideford Dip, the car on the other side.

The southbound carriageway is currently closed and expected to remain so for the next couple of hours.

Police are appealing for information after an elderly couple were confronted by two masked men in their house in Torquay and more than £50,000 of gold jewellery was stolen.

It happened in the Livermead area of the town at about 23:30 on 10 August.

The men were wearing black masks covering the bottom of their faces.

Both are described as dark-skinned with English accents, but they were able to speak in another language "similar to Urdu".

Detectives said they believed the burglary was linked to a series of similar offences across the region.

A homeless charity in Exeter has been awarded £17,000 to provide "crucial rough sleeper survival" services.

St Petrock's was given the grant by the Antonio Carluccio Foundation to provide, food, warmth and rest to people who have nowhere else to go.

The kitchen volunteers made nearly 10,000 meals last year.

BBC

BBC

A barrow is being constructed on the Somerset/Dorset border which will have the capacity to store more than 2,000 sets of funeral ashes.

The Higher Ground Meadow Natural Burial near Corscombe is due to be completed by Christmas 2019.

Jo Vassie, the owner of the burial ground, says she saw other similar structures around the country and "knew instantly that she wanted one".

"I know how important it is to find the right place to either bury somebody or place their ashes," she said.

Plymouth City Council has been encouraging children to take part in "safer adrenaline-based activities", and away from tombstoning.

In the third year of the campaign, youngsters have been pushed towards hobbies such as coasteering and slacklining as alternatives.

Tombstoning involves jumping off cliffs, piers, or harbour walls into water, but the dangers are increased with tide depths changing and objects hidden beneath the surface moving constantly.

It is currently legal, but by-laws have been created on some bridges to prevent jumping.

Tombstoning can be very dangerous and risks include death or life-changing injuries, submerged objects such as rocks which may not be visible, and the shock of cold water can make it difficult to swim. It may also be difficult to get out of the water, and strong currents can rapidly sweep people away."

BBC

Nearly 200 people have objected to plans for a new gas-fired power station in Devon, saying it contradicts the climate emergency which has just been declared in the area.

A company called Sage Power wants to build the power station at Heathfield, just next to the A38.

It says the station won't run all the time, but will come on when there are shortages of power; and this will help the transition to a low carbon energy system.

But many disagree - including Mike Barron who lives nearby...

If Teignbridge Council is minded to pass this, then they ought to stand up and be counted, because they've declared a climate emergency, they haven't actually proved that this power station is needed. I just think that they should totally and completely reject it.

Controversial plans for an employment site in Sidford have been given the go-ahead by a government planning inspector despite objections from the local council.

There was a three-day public inquiry into the plans last month.

East Devon District Council told the inquiry it was concerned about the number of heavy goods vehicles accessing the site and the impact on safety.

But the inspector concluded that there were significant benefits that outweigh the increase in lorries.

The council said it was "very disappointed".

LDRS

BBC

South West Water is facing significant challenges with climate change and the increasing demand for supply, bosses say.

Thousands of new homes are being built in the South West every year, while the population expands over the summer with tourists.

According to the company's head of water resources, Rob Scarrott, the "very high demands" over the summer grows by as much as 30%.

Wimbleball Reservoir on Exmoor is refilled in the winter months by pumping water from downstream to ensure it's full for the summer.

Mr Scarrot said that climate change and population growth would affect water supplies in the coming decades.

"The environment is going to look quite different that what we have today, and we need to plan for that," he said.

However, he added that the company planned 25 years in advance and was "confident" that it had the plans in place for this period.

South West Water provides water and sewerage services to Devon and Cornwall, plus small parts of Dorset and Somerset.

BBC

Local residents have paid for a new gate in an attempt to prevent travellers returning to a popular open space near Torquay seafront.

Work has been carried out to install a metal barrier and shore up earth banks alongside Ilsham Green.

A group of travellers drove onto the land near Meadfoot Beach and spent about a week there at the end of June.

Another group later occupied land nearby at Ilsham Marine Drive.

Wellswood Conservative councillor James O’Dwyer said the work had been paid for by residents in consultation with landowner Torbay Council and the local community partnership.

Via LDRS

Cllr O’Dwyer said a freeze on non-budgeted spending meant the council had been unable to provide funding.

He said: “This came about because some travellers went onto the green at the beginning of the summer.

“There had been a gate which was removed a number of years ago. This is a replacement to make it harder should people try to go onto public land.”

Torbay Council confirmed it had given permission for the gate to be installed on its land.

The council has reported groups of travellers this week at Clennon Valley and the overflow car park at Broadsands in Paignton.

Torbay has no designated travellers' site so the council has to follow a two-week legal process to remove any unauthorised encampment on public land.

Fire bosses are being accused of rejecting an offer to discuss plans to close eight rural fire stations in Devon and Somerset with the relevant scrutiny committee of Devon County Council.

Councillor Martin Shaw said he was "outraged" by a "refusal of the fire authority to face public scrutiny".

He has asked the chair of the scrutiny committee, Councillor Alistair Dewhirst, to invite other people affected by the closures to present instead, and prepare a report on the proposals.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said when it launched a public consultation that it wanted to bring an outdated service into the 21st Century and fire incidents in both areas had decreased 36% between 2008 and 2018.

On Tuesday, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Pete Bond said that he thought the public consultation was going "very well", and rejected claims that it was confusing and should be suspended.

BBC

Tom Williams

A cafe building in the Quantocks which was built nearly 100 years ago has been destroyed in a fire.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it received reports of the blaze at . Pines Cafe, Buncombe Hill, near Broomfield in the early hours.

Three fire engines from Taunton, Bridgwater and Nether Stowey attended the scene.

A spokesman said upon arrival the crews confirmed the premises were well alight and requested the attendance of two further crews, who from Taunton and Bridgwater.

He said three quarters of the property was damaged by fire before it was brought under control. No cause has yet been established.

The building's owners told BBC Somerset that it was built in 1922, and has been used as a café since 1956.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has defended the government's controversial Universal Credit scheme during a visit to the South West.

The scheme, which replaces six benefits, is years behind schedule, linked to rise in food bank use and rent arrears, and critics claim it might make millions poorer.

Ms Rudd argued that it was "more secure and transparent" than previous benefits systems.

She was visiting the region on Tuesday, announcing she intended to put £100,000 into a scheme to train Jobcentre staff to help people with mental health problems.

Of the new mental health support, she said: "Individuals who go into the Jobcentre now get personalised support from a work coach who will put their interest first."

With the visit coming just one day after Prime Minister Boris Johnson came to Cornwall, it has fuelled speculation that a general election campaign is imminent.

BBC

A Dartmoor National Park ranger is urging visitors to think carefully before setting up disposable barbecues on the moor.

Bill Allen deals with the consequences of disposable barbecues on a daily basis and said that, while they weren't banned on Dartmoor, there could be serious consequences when they were used irresponsibly.

According to Mr Allen, when used improperly, foil barbecues did damage that goes beyond the "unsightly", as the damage could cause soil near rivers to "wash away".

BBC

If they're place on the ground, even with the wire stand, they do actually burn the vegetation ... If you're on a riverside site, if you think about that loss of vegetation, and then in the winter the river level rises. I've actually seen areas where at least two or three tonnes of material have been lost and it's directly as a result of a foil barbecue."

A good deal of dry and bright weather with sunny spells on Wednesday, although a scattering of light showers or spots of rain also seems likely.

Maximum temperature: 17 to 20C (63 to 68F).

Devon:

BBC

Cornwall:

BBC

A no-deal Brexit could cost the farming industry £850m a year in lost profits as a whole, according to new research conducted by farm business consultants Andersons.

The research concludes that, without a significant increase in government support, some farms could struggle to survive leaving the EU without a deal.

However, the government has said it will provide support to boost some sectors in the "unlikely event" it's required.

Minister of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food - and Cornwall MP - George Eustice said that, if tariffs were imposed, the government was "looking at supporting" the farming industry to "offset" the impacts of leaving without an agreement.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has described leaving the EU as an "historic opportunity" to introduce new schemes to support the industry.

BBC

Almost 300 objections have been made to new plans for a six-storey hotel on the seafront at Torquay.

A second application to demolish and replace the Corbyn Head Hotel at Livermead was submitted after the first was rejected by Torbay Council’s planning committee.

The 307 public comments made during consultation on revised £20m plans include 282 against and 17 in support.

Councillors narrowly rejected the first scheme in June on the grounds its height and size would be out of character with the area and there was not enough parking.

A new application was lodged in July which reduced the height of the 152-bed four star hotel with spa and rooftop bar by 1m, changed the design and provided new information on parking, traffic and transport.

The architects say the design changes and new information should allow it to now go ahead.

But objectors maintain the new application for a building up to 20m high does not go far enough to overcome the reasons for refusal.

Planning officers recommended approval and said it was similar to other large buildings along the seafront.

The application is expected to be considered by the council’s planning committee in the next few months.

The Corbyn Head Hotel is one of four sites in Torbay bought for redevelopment by the Singapore-based Fragrance Group.

Via LDRS

Devon and Somerset's assistant chief fire officer says he understands the passionate response from people to proposals to close seven stations in the county, but the bulk of the service's work now is prevention.

A public consultation on the changes has one month left to run.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said it wanted to bring an outdated service into the 21st Century.

Pete Bond said the consultation was going "very well, with 1,000 responses".

He also rejected claims from one local councillor that it was confusing and should be suspended.

BBC

We haven't had any responses which say people don't understand the options or are not able to make a response to us. When we're talking to people at the public drop-in exhibitions, we're getting clear conversations with them. I think, overall, we followed everything we should have done in making this a valid consultation. I think that's been proven in the results we're getting."

It is likely to become more cloudy during the evening with a few showers moving in close to the north coast.

Elsewhere, mist patches may develop and winds from the south west will be mainly light or moderate.

Minimum temperature: 9C to 12C

BBC

On Wednesday it will be cloudy with some scattered light showers in the morning and some early sunshine.

Brighter spells should increase during the day and light or moderate south westerly winds will hit the north coast.

Maximum temperature: 15C to 19C

The circumstances surrounding the death of a 14-year-old Devon girl following an MRI scan are to be investigated by a national watchdog, it has been confirmed.

Alice Sloman, from Torbay, had autism and was given an anaesthetic for the scan at at Torbay Hospital after becoming "extremely anxious" and "hypersensitive".

But a hormone given for a growth defect led to an undiagnosed condition which enlarged her heart and put her at danger when anaesthetised.

She died in Bristol Children's Hospital in October 2018, three days after becoming suddenly unwell during the scan.

Handout

Torbay Hospital referred the case to the the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch (HSIB).

The HSIB has now published an interim report, confirming an investigation into aspects of how hospitals support children with special needs, and their families, when a general anaesthetic was required.

It will also look at the procedures that staff follow if the young person becomes unwell under anaesthetic.

We will continue to provide whatever information we can to support that review."

A new library, a community café and improved changing rooms will be provided as part of a new community hub for Pinhoe.

The new building, which will also include multi-purpose functions rooms and office space, will be built on the edge of the Station Road Playing Fields, next to the railway station.

The new hub will increase and expand community facilities, services, and enhance the lives of all in the "vibrant and expanding community", details with the planning application submitted to Exeter City Council state.

Subject to planning permission, construction would take place in 2021/22, with the ultimate opening date for the building to be in 2022/23.

Exeter City Council will determine the fate of the application at a later date.

LDRS

All lines have reopened between Totnes and Plymouth after emergency services dealt with a person being hit by a train.

National Rail said trains services could still be delayed or cancelled.

Disruption is expected until about 12:30.

There is disruption on some train services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth due to a person being hit by a train.

All lines are blocked between the two stations, National Rail said.

It added trains may be delayed or cancelled and disruption is expected until about 16:00.

More information can be found here.

LDRS

Councillors have decided to remove a pub’s licence after a customer was badly injured in an attack involving a glass and pool cue.

Doctors feared the victim might lose his eye after the assault at the White Hart Inn in Temperance Street, Torquay.

Details of the incident emerged at a hearing of Torbay Council’s licensing sub-committee.

Councillors decided to revoke the pub’s premises licence held by Cheshire-based Admiral Taverns.

The company has 21 days to appeal to the magistrates’ court which would put the decision on hold until the case is resolved.

Councillors were told the pub was the third worst for reported crime in the town centre in recent years.

No one from Admiral Taverns attended the hearing, but solicitor Jasmine Clamp said on its behalf that the pub was for sale and the company was offering a voluntary three-month suspension of the licence.

Young people with autism are being given a taste of what it's like to work in the animation industry.

The University of Plymouth is hosting a summer animation boot camp and it's the first of its kind in the UK.

Students from all over the country are shown how to create their very own animation from story board concepts to a finished short film.

Joe Westlake is from Danimation UK...

BBC

Tuesday will remain dry for many places with spells of sunshine.

Some cloud will build at times and there will also be a few scattered showers.

There will be light or moderate west or northwesterly winds which will turn towards the south west by the end of the day.

Maximum temperature: 16C to 19C.

The RSPCA is appealing for information after a cat was left seriously injured after being found with her leg snared in an illegal trap in Somerset.

The tabby and white cat was found on Monday with a gin trap clamped around her front left leg near the Tesco store in Langport.

She was found by a member of the public who contacted Langport Vets after she was discovered trying to get through a fence trailing the trap.

The cat is not microchipped so it has not been possible to find her owner.

RSPCA

We would also ask local people in the area to be vigilant and to keep an eye out for these traps. Not only is it illegal to set a gin trap, it is also illegal to cause an animal to suffer as a result. We have seen domestic animals fall victim to these traps many times.

Remaining showers will largely die away, leading to a mostly dry Monday evening with clear spells.

Northwesterly winds will also ease and become light or moderate.

Minimum temperature: 8C to 12C.

BBC

On Tuesday, the day will start with sunny spells apart from a very isolated shower.

However, the cloud will build during the morning and some scattered outbreaks of showery rain will move in from the west, although most places will be dry again by the evening.

Winds will turn to the southwest and will become mainly light or moderate.

Maximum temperature: 15C to 19C.

A woman found dead in the sea off south Devon was visiting the county from Huddersfield, an inquest has heard.

The body of 49-year-old Tracy Knott, from Kirkheaton, was recovered after police were called to water near Brixham's Freshwater Quarry car park, in Torbay, early on 11 August.

The inquest, at Plymouth’s Coroner’s Court, was opened and adjourned. It is expected to continue later in the year.

A man in his 60s was found on rocks nearby and taken to hospital with "a number of injuries", Devon and Cornwall Police said at the time of the incident.

A dog that was with them was taken to kennels.

Cornwall golfer Harry Hall has been picked to take part in the Walker Cup 2019 Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I) team.

He is among five English, three Irish and two Scottish players.

Team captain Craig Watson said he believed the chosen squad of 10 "will give us the best chance of regaining the Walker Cup against a strong American team".

The 47th Walker Cup match will be played on 7 to 8 September at the Royal Liverpool course.

From elsewhere in the South West, Yeovil's Thomas Plumb and Taunton & Pickeridge's Tom Sloman are also in the squad.

Google

Volunteers are raising funds to install a giant bell on a beach at Brixham to mark the tide going in and out.

The £20,000 "Time and Tide bell" has been given to the town as part of a national project by Devon artist Marcus Vergette, but still needs planning permission from Torbay Council and the Marine Management Organisation.

Six of the 16 planned have already been installed, including one at Appledore in north Devon.

A fitness instructor from Devon has come up with an unusual form of exercise: doing pilates while interacting with miniature pigs.

BBC

Harry Parkes has set up a class called Piggy Pilates, running the sessions at Pennywell Farm at Buckfastleigh which have, so far, been a sell out.

"I thought it was a wind-up at first but I had heard of goat yoga, and obviously the benefits of exercising with animals is much-reported," she said.

Ms Parkes said the first session was a bit "hare-brained" but everyone who came loved it and the pigs enjoyed the attention.

She added: "They're really inquisitive, they're really cheeky and they love a little scratch halfway through."

A scientific trial is under way on a farm in Devon to measure how much methane is produced by cattle and sheep.

Farming and climate change expert Professor Tom Misselbrook said it was estimated grazing animals produce just 5% of the UK's total greenhouse gases.

It is hoped plastic tubes placed around cows' necks on the farm near Okehampton will help give an accurate measurement of how much methane they are emitting from their mouths.

Methane gas is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to heating up the atmosphere, and researchers have been looking for ways to reduce gas emissions from the animals.

BBC

When the animal burps or breathes, and we're getting some methane coming out, we're sampling that ... and capturing that.

We're also very interested in measuring the methane emissions from our cattle and sheep here, potentially methane from the soil ... and nitrous oxide emissions, so nitrous oxide is another greenhouse gas, which can arise from manures, fertilisers and from dung and urine from the grazing animal."

Tiverton Fire Station

A large barn containing 70 bales of hay, 70 bales of straw, three tractors and fertiliser caught fire late on Sunday night.

Emergency services were called to the incident at Washfield, Tiverton, at 23:48.

Crews managed the fire using a water dam and two hose reel jets, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said.

A hazardous materials officer requested contact with the Environment Agency regarding the fertiliser.

The crew left the scene at 06:52 on Monday, handing the responsibility over to the farmer.

Tiverton Fire Station

BBC

A mother from Devon says her teenage son has been repeatedly failed by authorities because he has both autism and mental health problems.

Joe Rickman, 13, has developed severe anxiety and depression in the last 18 months.

BBC

His mother, Sarah Rickman, from Honiton, said early intervention by the child and adolescent mental health service (Camhs) could have helped.

The consortium that provides those services, Children and Family Health Devon, said it was working to improve care for children with both autism and mental health problems but Ms Rickman said she struggled to get proper answers from anyone.

"He has been passed from pillar to post," she said.

"The local Camhs see it predominantly as an autism-related problem.

"They are very reluctant to admit that he has co-morbid problems of anxiety and and depression (and) there are very long waiting lists."

BBC

Monday will see some scattered showers and spells of sunshine.

Some of these showers may be heavy and possibly thundery before becoming increasing isolated towards the evening.

There will be moderate or fresh winds from the west or northwest and some stronger winds around the coast and within the showers.

Maximum temperature: 15C to 18C.