Friday 9 May 2025
 (Clockwise from top left) Councillor Brazil, Councillor Hodgson, Councillor Leadbetter, Councillor Fife Cook.
Calls for “a new way of doing politics” made by Lib Dem group Leader Councillor Brazil
Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Liberal Democrat (Lib Dems) group at Devon County Council, wants all of the councillors at the authority to have a voice.
Following last Thursday’s local elections, Devon County Council was left under no single party control. Of the 60 seats, the Lib Dems won the most with 27, but that left them just short of the 31 seats needed to gain overall control.
Reform UK, new to the council, won 18 seats; the Conservative Party – seven seats; Green Party – six; Independents – two; with the Labour Party now having no seats on the council.
The results represent a significant change at County Hall, where the Conservatives had been in control since 2009.
At the Full Council meeting on Thursday 22 May, councillors will decide who takes up the positions of Leader, Deputy Leader, Cabinet Members, appointments to committees, as well as the roles of Chairman and Vice Chairman.
We marked VE Day commemorations yesterday (Thursday 8 May) with a raising of the Union Flag above County Hall, Exeter.
We've also spoken to 104 year old Launa Mary Stevenson at her home in Exmouth. Launa has a fascinating story to tell of her time during the Second World War, as Lt. Launa Stevenson, assistant surgeon, stationed at field hospitals across France, Belgium and Holland.
Read what she told us, about how she was first recruited, her landing in the dead of night on Gold Beach, her experience in the field hospitals, VE Day and beyond.
We also described this week the experiences of Maxwell Embury, OBE and Deputy Lieutenant of Devon. Recalling VE Day, he said: "We all threw our hats in the air and jumped for joy, but in retrospect we had a lot of remorse as well, and we did think of the casualties that we had suffered, the young men that we'd left behind and would never go home, and you know thinking: "Well, why them and not me?" Read more on our Facebook page.
We will, once again, be sharing a stand with our partners at the Devon County Show this year which runs from Thursday 15 May to Saturday 17 May. You can find our main stand at our usual place on Road 8, Stand 225. Visitors will have the opportunity to find out about some of the services we provide and the work we carry out, such as road safety, fostering, adoption and flood resilience, and the stand will be packed with activities and information for all ages.
In other news, our competition to win a family ticket for this year’s Devon County Show closed today at 1pm! We have chosen the winner and contacted them this afternoon.
 📷 Dan Searle @DSFRS
A significant wildfire broke out on Dartmoor last weekend. Thanks to the hard work of teams on the ground it has now been extinguished. However, significant damage has been done and there is concern for wildlife in the affected area.
During this period of exceptionally dry weather, please remain extremely vigilant to reduce the risk of uncontrolled moorland fires when visiting Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks. You can find out more about what you can do to help reduce the risk of fires on the Dartmoor National Park and Exmoor National Park websites.
With the joys of spring, May is a wonderful month to get outside and reconnect with nature. Naturally Healthy May is about encouraging us to get outside and spend time in nature to improve our mental and physical health. Need some inspiration on what to do this May in Devon? Have a look at this blog by Active Devon to get you started!
 Help your garden thrive this summer – don’t waste it, compost it
A 2022 study in Devon found that we are still throwing away huge amounts of food waste. Nearly a third (28.2%) of our black bin waste is made up of food waste, and a further 6.8% comes from garden waste. Some of that waste, such as uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings, flowers, twigs and dead leaves, could be composted at home.
 Talkworks priority service to new and expectant parents
If you are expecting a baby or have a child under the age of two, you can be fast tracked through to receive support from one of NHS TALKWORKS perinatal champions. They can help with a range of common mental health difficulties, including low mood, depression, anxiety, stress and problems with sleep.
The Pride march is on Saturday 10 May, starting at 11.45am from St Sidwell’s Community Centre. This event is not just for the LGBT+ community but also for those who believe in equality, equity and inclusion. Your involvement will help us show we are promoting a culture of respect, understanding and treating others with kindness across Devon and the South West.
Libraries Unlimited, the charity that runs libraries in Devon on our behalf, is thrilled to announce the launch of their very own summer reading challenge, based on their popular reading challenge The Secret Book Quest! From Saturday 12 July to Saturday 6 September, children can visit their local library to sign up for free and begin their Deep Sea Adventure.
May's edition of the Devon Climate Emergency newsletter is out now! It contains news of the many actions already taking place across Devon that are successfully reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing resilience and implementing the Devon Carbon Plan and Climate Adaptation Strategy.
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