Friday 20 February 2026
Roads and children’s services are set to receive a major cash injection in the first budget of our new administration. The Cabinet revealed this week that highways will receive an additional £15 million of capital investment in 2026–27, targeted at preventative maintenance, resurfacing and patching. On top of that, £4 million of additional revenue funding will be spent on highway drainage improvements, gully clearance, vegetation management and other preventative work. The proposed budget will go to Full Council on Tuesday 24 February for formal approval.
 Copyright Active Devon Devon School Games Visual Impairment Day
A major new programme launching across Devon aims to expand and strengthen access to inclusive leisure and physical activity opportunities for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We have appointed Active Devon to lead this work, placing the voices and lived experiences of children and young people with SEND at the heart of the change.
Proposals to make permanent changes to street lighting across the county were approved by Cabinet this week, following a year‑long trial that responded to community needs while cutting costs, reducing carbon emissions and delivering environmental benefits. The decision means earlier switch‑off times and further dimming of streetlights will continue in residential areas, market towns and rural locations, while lighting on main roads will remain unchanged.
The Government changed its mind this week about its plans to postpone local elections this May. We welcomed the U-turn, having strongly challenged the Government's proposal that would have cancelled elections in 30 areas undergoing local government reorganisation.
One Ilfracombe’s focus on work and skills development in the town will continue this month with a free Jobs and Careers Fair. More than 35 employers are due to attend the free event which will be held at the North Devon Resort, Marlborough Road, in Ilfracombe, on Wednesday 25 February from 10am to 2pm.
Residents are being called on to make their voices heard as the major public consultation on the future of the county’s 50 libraries enters its final few days. The consultation, which closes on Sunday 22 February 2026 has so far received more than 19,000 responses – and every view will be reviewed, considered, and will help shape the future of local library services.
Work is underway to prepare the site for the development of the Cullompton Relief Road. Although the main construction work of the 1.3km road is due to start this summer, ecological and archaeological work has been timed to go ahead on site now ahead of the bird nesting season and to meet strict ecological requirements.
Join us for the Spring DCRF Forum – a free, drop-in event focused on strengthening community resilience. Our Resilience Forum events are open to anyone with an interest in emergency planning, response and recovery, including town and parish councils, voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and local community groups.
The event is on Thursday 26 March at 10am, at Teign Valley Community Hall, Village Road, Christow.
Work on the Dinan Way extension in Exmouth is being hampered by the ongoing heavy rain, but progress is continuing to be made. The new Hulham Road roundabout, developed as part of the scheme, was surfaced last week. Road markings and high friction surfacing are still to be added.
 Photo from Libraries Unlimited
Libraries Unlimited is partnering with Recycle Devon to bring World Book Day costume swap rails to 15 libraries in Devon. World Book Day 2026 is Thursday 5 March, and library swap rails are running until Sunday 8 March.
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