News in Dawlish

Plans to dual the A303 at Stonehenge could be re-approved in 2022 despite a successful court challenge.

The Department for Transport (DfT) granted permission to National Highways (formerly Highways England) in late-2020 to dual the A303 near the World Heritage Site at a cost of £1.7bn, including a new tunnel through the site itself.

Devon is in a housing crisis, the leader of the county council has declared.

Conservative John Hart made the announcement as figures show house price rises in some parts of Devon are among the highest in the country, with the lack of rental properties preventing key workers moving to the area.

A senior councillor's membership of the Liberal Democrats has been temporarily suspended as the party looks into a physical confrontation he had at a full council meeting.

During a question on planning, Teignbridge councillor Gary Taylor (Dawlish South West) appeared to try to pull opposition member Liam Mullone (Newton Says No, College) away at a meeting in September. The pair were broken up.

Local resident and member of Dawlish Local History Group David Allanach spotted an unusually shaped piece of granite on his way home recently - and later identified it as part of the one of the original columns of Brunel's railway viaduct.

He said: "I usually pass the stilling basin and walk along the sea wall on my way back home from town. I noticed the shaped granite had appeared and thought I knew what it was but had to come home to check on old photographs to be sure.

A by-election is set to be held next year to fill a vacancy on Dawlish Town Council.

It comes after the death of Councillor Terry Lowther in September.

Dawlish and Teignbridge residents can now see the number of Covid cases in their area on an interactive government map.

These are the numbers for the seven days up to 2 December:

Update 12.13pm: Trains are operating, but GWR are 'advising customers not to travel unless absolutely essential' due to the adverse weather conditions.

There are rail replacement buses between Newton Abbot and Exeter St Davids, and you can reportedly use your ticket on Stagecoach bus routes 2, 2A, 22, 39, 88, GOLD and X38.

Firefighters attended a four-vehicle crash in Kingsteignton yesterday (Monday 6 December) at around 4.45pm which involved three cars and a lorry.

The fire crews managed to extricate the lorry driver from the vehicle and left him with paramedics at the scene.

Update 12.51pm: The A30 has now reopened, but traffic is still reportedly queueing.

An AA traffic alert read: "The A30 was closed Westbound but this cleared around 11:30."

Firefighters from Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, and Torquay responded to a fire in a property in Bishopsteignton at around 11.23am on Saturday 4 December.

A neighbour had reported that the smoke alarm was sounding and there was a smell of smoke.