The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response Cullompton is a town and civil parish in the district of Mid Devon It is 13 miles north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm Westcountry MPs have demanded that the government commit to delivering two new railway stations as the result of the spending review looms Somerset suffered heavily during the Beeching cuts of the mid-1960s with numerous towns and villages seeing their stations closed and entire lines being ripped up forever Plans to restore rail services to Wellington and the nearby town of Cullompton in Devon have moved forward in recent times – with Cherwyn Developments gaining approval in May 2024 to deliver the access to a new Wellington station as part of a new estate of 200 homes Chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves MP threw a spanner in the works in late-July 2024 by instituting a review of major transport projects across the UK – with the A303 Stonehenge tunnel and the dualling of the A358 between Taunton and Ilminster both being cancelled in October 2024 as part of her first budget Local MPs Gideon Amos and Richard Foord have now met with transport secretary Heidi Alexander MP urging her to ensure Wellington and Cullompton’s rail links are restored with great urgency Their plea comes less than three months before the outcome of the government’s spending review which will have wide-reaching implications for major regeneration projects across the UK Every major infrastructure project in Britain has to present a benefit-cost ratio which estimates how much economic growth will be generated as a result of government funding being invested in a given area For every £1 invested in the new stations in Wellington and Cullompton the business case estimates they will generate £3.67 of benefits – one of the best ratios of any ongoing project in the country Mr Amos (who represents the Taunton and Wellington constituency) and Mr Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) released a joint statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service following their meeting with Ms Alexander (Swindon South) They said: “We made the case strongly for the project especially given the cancellation of the A358 and A303 improvements from Somerset as soon as it became clear that the previous government hadn’t allocated any funding for them “The secretary of state was very knowledgeable about the Cullompton and Wellington stations project “While she made clear she was not able to make any commitments until the spending review had concluded she was positive in recognising the strength of the case for the project including the third-party funding that has already been secured and the significant numbers of new homes it would unlock “We were pleased that her officials also confirmed the project had strong credentials “We will continue to press hard for it to go ahead and will not rest until these vital stations are reopened.” The project has nearly completed its detailed design stage – with ex-Network Rail planner David Northey revealing shortly before the recent general election that Wellington’s new £15m station would not have a ticket office Detailed plans have been submitted for both the spine road which will link the new station to Nynehead Road and the ‘station square’ at the entrance to the station – which will include the original top of the Wellington Monument Somerset Council has previously indicated that funds from the community infrastructure levy (CIL – which is paid by housing developers) could be used to deliver the spine road if the development ran into financial difficulty Options are also being explored for delivering new walking and cycling links near the station site – whether through the regeneration of Tonedale Mill and Tone Works (through the government’s levelling up fund) or the creation of the Grand Western Greenway which could eventually link the town to Taunton portfolio holder for transport and waste services said: “We have worked hard bringing in major funding for the Wellington railway station project and the access road will soon be built as part of the linked housing development We now need government to do its part.” together with a new relief road near the town’s Tesco supermarket will help to deliver the Culm Garden Village providing around 5,000 new homes east of junction 28 of the M5 Amos and Foord are currently organising a visit by local residents to London to further lobby transport ministers on the need for the project MID Devon District Council’s Cabinet will hold its next meeting in Cullompton on Tuesday Following a successful meeting in Crediton in August 2024 the Council is continuing its efforts to make local democracy more accessible by holding meetings in different towns across the district While Cabinet meetings are usually held at the Council’s offices in Tiverton the Council is keen to give residents more opportunities to engage with decision-making particularly where key local issues are being discussed The Cabinet meeting will be held at Cullompton Community Centre Residents are encouraged to attend, and those wishing to ask questions can find further details on the Council’s website in due course. Comments Tel: 01363 774263[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 A LONG-AWAITED agreement by Tesco to sell a piece of land in Cullompton that is intrinsic to a new £34 million relief road is “excellent”, according to the town’s MP. Alongside other campaigners including Mid Devon District Council, Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, had spent years trying to get the supermarket to release land it owned but did not use, and which is required for a planned road to be built. Government funding was confirmed in August for the scheme, which is viewed as a vital piece of larger redevelopment of the town. The relief road essentially paves the way for a new settlement of 5,000 homes called Culm Garden Village. While Cullompton Cricket Club has already started moving to make way for the relief road, Tesco had been criticised for its seeming intransigence over land it owns that Mid Devon District Council needs for the road. Now it has agreed to sell it. “The decision by Tesco to sell this essential piece of land is excellent news,” Mr Foord said. “Cullompton’s proposed relief road has been a long time in the making and will ease congestion and air pollution in the town centre. “At a time when housing developments are rightly criticised for failing on accompanying infrastructure, this proposal could improve walking and cycling opportunities too.” The relief road, which secured planning permission in 2021, will run from Station Road to Duke Street and will include enhanced walking and cycling facilities. Completion of the road is forecast for 2028, with the major focus of work in the short term being to finalise designs, complete the acquisition of land and fully relocate the cricket club. Besides the relief road, Mid Devon has also submitted a business case for investment to upgrade Junction 28 of the M5, which suffers daily gridlock because of commuters travelling from and to Cullompton every day. Cllr Steve Keable, cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration for the council, said he is “delighted” that Tesco had listened to the voices of the community, including local councils and Mr Foord. “This positive decision by Tesco has come at a crucial time for Cullompton, building on other recent successes,” Cllr Keable said. “It marks the overcoming of the final major hurdle to delivery of the relief road and I now look forward to seeing the relief road built.” Tel: 01363 774263[email protected]Follow us The construction of the relief road was supported by Homes England as it is also essential in unlocking planned homes – both at North West Cullompton and to the east of the M5 where the initial phase of homes associated with the Culm Garden Village are proposed These works would have remained stalled without the hard work of all those involved which secured planning permission in January 2021 will run from Station Road in the north to Duke Street in the south and will also include enhanced walking and cycling facilities to support sustainable and active travel within the town Completion of the road is forecast for 2028 with the major focus of work in the short term being to finalise designs complete the acquisition of land and fully relocate the cricket club A “CARS and coffee” venue has been given permission to serve alcohol. Re:Fuel Southwest, which brings car and motorbike enthusiasts together over food and refreshments, applied for an alcohol and entertainment licence so it could open as a restaurant and host events in the evenings. Mid Devon District Council’s licensing sub-committee waved through the request, meaning the venue at Five Bridges in Cullompton will now be able to serve alcoholic drinks and host live music. The change will mean a big extension to its opening hours at some point. At present it opens from 8.30am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 5.30pm on weekends, with the occasional evening event or pop-up food night. “Once we have our licence, we intend to work towards opening as a restaurant and for local community events in the evenings, meaning our opening hours will then run from 8.30am to midnight Monday to Friday and 9am to midnight on Saturday and Sunday,” the venue said in its application. It had met with Devon and Cornwall Police before submitting the licence request about what conditions might be needed. The council also said that the cafe may need to apply for permission to use its site as a restaurant, either through a document called a certificate of lawfulness or via planning permission. But it noted this was a separate issue to the granting of the alcohol licence. Three residents objected to the licensing application, with fears including the venue being situated on a “very dangerous stretch of road”, and that anyone walking to or from it could not do so safely. Another did not believe Re:Fuel had adequate toilets, and raised a concern that customers could urinate on his premises. A third said the cafe itself did not cause a problem but that traffic and noise from events had been an issue, with “vehicles looping along the road and queuing to enter the car park”. “There have been several accidents on this road, some of them fatal, and the venue is near a blind corner with poor visibility,” the resident added. However, the council noted that road safety concerns were not relevant to deciding whether to grant alcohol and entertainment licences. “The licensing officer is of the view that the applicant cannot control issues like the general use of the road, the speed at which people drive and the provision of lighting on a public highway,” it said. “The public can attend the site and use this road regardless of whether or not the premises has a licence (as they have been).” The council added that relevant concerns from residents related more to noise from the venue, potential anti-social behaviour, and increased litter. However, the sub-committee voted in favour the application, believing that conditions linked to the approval could curtail or stop issues that objectors raised. Tel: 01363 774263[email protected]Follow us AIR monitoring devices in two Mid Devon towns are to be switched back on in the new year and levels of emissions recorded. Both Cullompton and Crediton have air quality improvement areas, but devices that read and monitor emissions levels haven’t been operational since June last year. Cllr James Buczkowski (Liberal Democrat, Cullompton St Andrews) said that he wanted air quality metrics added to a dashboard of data the council monitors. “This administration has been working diligently to reinstate real-time air quality monitoring which was not funded by the previous administration and switched off in June last year,” he told cabinet. “But we will have a return of real-time monitoring by January 2025 after an elongated process since they were switched off, and so I think air quality should be a key metric on the dashboard.” The council created air quality management areas (AQMAs) in the two towns nearly 20 years ago. The areas are where specific pollutants exceed the government’s air quality targets and are on residential roads where vehicles raise levels of pollutants. The first AQMA to be designated in 2004 was at Exeter Road and the High Street in Crediton. A second AQMA was created two years later in parts of Station Road, Higher Street and Fore Street in Cullompton. Richard Marsh, director of place and economy at the district council, said he would consider how to include this on the dashboard once the right targets had been established. “To a degree we are subject to the environment, so the measures in our direct control to ensure we meet those standards are obviously limited,” he said. “But I appreciate that there is a value in reporting the data for transparency and awareness, so I don’t think there will be a problem in terms of using that data as it will be at our disposal.” Tel: 01363 774263[email protected]Follow us 14 APR 2025BookmarkCullompton's town centre was awash with woolly wonders and community cheer on Saturday as SpringFest returned with a sheep-themed celebration that proved a hit with visitors of all ages drew crowds to a bustling programme of music transforming the town into a hive of springtime creativity and family entertainment The day’s events began with an opening by retiring Devon county councillor John Berry. Among the standout attractions were cookery demonstrations and tastings from Fordmore Farm at the Baptist Church which ran three sessions throughout the morning Visitors also flocked to the nearby Farmers Market at 11am for a cupcake decorating session Children had plenty to keep them entertained including free gardening activities and crafts such as plate painting and plant pot decorating in the walled garden of the Walronds craft stalls and a prize draw added to the festivities Café Walronds offered refreshments throughout the day The Hayridge Library joined the celebrations with children’s craft workshops Traditional entertainment came courtesy of the Bradninch Millers Morris Dancers who performed at the Walronds and again at the Baptist Church More family-friendly activities at the Baptist Church included egg decorating and a ‘Milk the Cow’ game running from 10am to 12pm where children could try their hand at milking a model cow before receiving a free milkshake The Sanctuary also hosted screenings of an Easter-themed children’s film every hour from 10am to 1pm A sheep-themed shop window competition ran throughout the day with entry forms available from the Baptist Church visitors were encouraged to get green-fingered by planting herb gardens with a free pot and compost provided with any plant purchase Festivalgoers were also urged to support local businesses during the event pubs and restaurants welcoming visitors throughout the day deacon of Cullompton Baptist Church and a member of the SpringFest Committee said: “There’s a lot going on at the church today where children are getting the opportunity to milk a pretend cow and then get a free milkshake There’s a lot of children’s crafts going on There’s also Easter film being shown in the Sanctuary and Fordmore Farm are doing cookery demos and tastings She added: “Thanks to Tesco for giving us something towards the milk with cow and the other things that we’ve had to buy for the event Thanks to the festival committee for the provision of the food for the Fordmore cookery demo and thanks to Adam from Fordmore for his special effort and coming and doing the cooking.” Marilyn said: “There is a committee and soon we will have a mop-up meeting where we mop up from what’s happened at this one try and learn any lessons and then we start looking at the Autumn Festival There are three festivals a year generally — the spring the autumn and the Christmas — and so when you’ve finished one you just move on to the next festival and start trying to raise funds She concluded: “The Baptist Church were very keen to play a big part because our strapline is ‘at the heart of the community’ and that’s what we want to be Noah’s Ark are here Monday to Friday so stuff for children is in our DNA Artists showcase their animal-themed pyrography and paintings adding a rustic and personal touch to the festival’s creative scene Volunteers from Hospiscare engage the public with a tombola and a table full of puzzles and prizes in support of their local hospice services Young and old alike take part in a traditional stick dance as part of the Bradninch Millers' interactive performance at the Walronds Laughter and learning go hand in hand as a mock cow is ‘milked’ indoors giving children a playful and educational farming experience Chef Adam from Fordmore Farm Shop joins a festival volunteer to serve up juicy burgers hot off the grill during a cookery demo session A musician plays the recorder while others accompany on accordion adding a lively soundtrack to the festival’s Morris dancing events Stallholders serve up slices of sponge cake alongside handmade wooden birdhouses at a charming corner of the SpringFest market A family from Pop It Play receives third place in the Best Dressed or Friendly Stand competition proudly posing with their certificate and child-friendly JCB display A volunteer supports Macmillan Cancer Support at SpringFest with a colourful stall filled with Easter eggs and sweet treats for fundraising Two dancers in floral crowns and colourful ribbons share a moment mid-performance keeping spirits high in the heart of the town Potter Kate Reeves displays her handcrafted ceramic pieces offering unique creations to visitors browsing local art and craft Festivalgoers of all generations join the fun with families enjoying the procession and community spirit of the SpringFest parade Two young children focus on their colourful artwork as part of the walled garden’s fun-filled paper plate decorating session carefully decorates a plant pot as part of the hands-on gardening crafts at SpringFest Three Morris dancers march with sticks in hand leading the way through Cullompton town centre as part of the day’s entertainment Children beam with delight as they join in the Morris dancing taking centre stage in the festival’s family-friendly celebration Smiles all around as a lemon drizzle cake is proudly presented to festivalgoers at one of the event’s many artisan food stalls Young artists dive into a plate-decorating activity with red markers and face paint channelling their inner creativity during the festival’s free crafts Members of the Bradninch Millers Morris Dancers bring tradition and rhythm to the streets of Cullompton during their vibrant SpringFest performance Children get hands-on with heritage as they try out traditional stick dancing under the guidance of experienced Morris dancers DEVON MP Richard Foord has asked for assurance that funding to reopen Cullompton railway station will still be available under the new government. The scheme was announced by the Conservatives in the 2021 budget, with £5 million pledged for both Cullompton’s station and Wellington’s in Somerset. But new chancellor Rachel Reeves’ announcement that infrastructure projects could be scrapped in a bid to fill what Labour calls a £22 billion hole, has prompted nervousness from MPs about whether schemes in their constituencies will survive. Liberal Democrat Mr Foord, who won the new Honiton and Sidmouth seat in July’s election, said while the government’s cuts looked as it they would centre on much larger projects, he wants assurances that the Cullompton station would go ahead. “Locally there is a bit of concern about cuts to the Restoring Your Railway funding, and my colleague Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat, Taunton and Wellington) asked Rachel Reeves in the chamber in the House of Commons earlier in the week about whether we would see cuts to projects to build these two stations,” he told Radio Exe’s Devoncast podcast. “We are just getting some clarification from the government, as we were encouraged to hear what the chancellor said, notably that those projects that are already underway will continue, and Cullompton and Wellington are underway.” Mr Foord said a formal stage of the process – known as an outline business case – had been approved and that the full business case was being developed by a board that brings together Network Rail, train company Great Western Railway, and local councils. “We’ve had some good engagement with the Department for Transport, but we’re just waiting for clarification from the department that these projects will go ahead. “At this stage, I’m keen to get in touch with the minister from the DfT to get certainty around the Cullompton station project, and even though we’ve heard nothing from the chancellor that the project is under threat, we also need to hear that from DfT.” The railway could be a vitally important piece of infrastructure if the nearby Culm Garden Village development goes ahead, which proposed around 1,300 homes. That scheme is also dependent on works to improve junction 28 of the M5  at Cullompton, which would also include a relief road to mitigate congestion. Currently there is significant queuing to use the junction 28 at peak times on weekdays. Frequently queues stretch along Station Road between High Street and Junction 28, which reduces the air quality in the town. To resolve this, Devon County Council has been working with Mid Devon District Council and other agencies to find the best solution. The preferred option is to construct a new second junction and bridge to the south of junction 28 with south facing slip-roads. This new junction and relief road should reduce queues and delays at junction 28, reduce congestion and improve air quality throughout the town centre, the councils say. Tel: 01363 774263[email protected]Follow us WELLINGTON’S hopes of pulling off a double over Cullompton - and their eighth rugby win of the season - were dashed when they went down 28-26 away to their Devon rivals in a thrilling game in Regional Two South West. It was always going to be a close game with only three points separating the sides - with Cullompton lying eighth in the table and Wellington ninth. Wellington made a flying start, going 7-0 up after ten minutes but the Devon side hit back to lead 21-7 not long into the second half. Wellington closed the gap to only two points after 70 minutes, only to concede a converted try five minutes later. George Hodgson, captaining Wellington in the absence of Danny Lee, went over for an early try for Wellington which was converted by Danny Goverd. However, Wellington found themselves 21-7 down after 55 minutes as Cullompton scored three converted tries, two of them coming before the interval. Will Hodgson then went over from a try which was converted by Goverd to make it 21-14, and Liam Phillips also scored a five-pointer which went unconverted to put the visitors within two points of the home side. But another converted try by Cullompton in the 75th minute proved decisive meaning Wellington needed to score twice with the clock now being against them. Goverd snapped up a try which he also converted, leaving Wellington two points adrift with little time to score again. However, the game was a splendid advert for Regional Two South West rugby with Wellington having to settle for ninth place in the table, their place in the division having been secured a fortnight earlier when they gained a brilliant home win over Crediton who had already made sure of finishing runners-up to champions Topsham. Wellington finished ahead of three teams - Teignmouth, Truro and Newton Abbot - whose position is not certain for next season. Tel: 01823 662439[email protected]Follow us Further Links Culllompton's long-planned relief road is to become a reality after the government stumped up £34 million to help pay for it traffic should be diverted away from the town centre and the opportunity opens up for the creation of 5,000 new homes in a settlement called the Culm Garden Village Recently preparations got under way with the start of relocating Cullompton Cricket Club Mid Devon District Council claims the new road will improve air quality in the town and make the town centre more vibrant In a statement the council said: "The construction of the relief road was supported by Homes England as it is also essential in unlocking planned homes – both at North West Cullompton and to the east of the M5 where the initial phase of homes associated with the Culm Garden Village are proposed "It is expected that the relief road will be the first phase of major road infrastructure investment in Cullompton with further investment expected to support the upgrading of J28 in order to address the capacity of the junction and support wider planned growth A further business case for investment in the J28 junction is currently with Government for consideration Mid Devon's cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration said: “The relief road will address the growing pressure of traffic congestion and air pollution Mid Devon would also not be able to meet the local need for new homes “Recognising this mandate for delivery I would now call on Tesco to meaningfully engage with us in relation to the transfer of land they own which is required to deliver the relief road so that we can deliver the relief road and realise its benefits as soon as possible.” Mid Devon District Council has expressed its disappointment at the government’s recent decision to withdraw funding for the reopening of two new train stations that were due to be funded under the Restoring Your Railway fund Minister for rail Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill sent a letter to the area’s MP Richard Foord confirming that under chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to cancel the Restoring Your Railway programme funding for Cullompton and Wellington stations will be withdrawn The council has been attempting to enhance rail services along the Bristol–Exeter corridor as part of a wider project to improve train services in the region which includes restoring rail access to Cullompton and Wellington stations Both stations closed in 1964 as part of the Beeching report a partnership between Mid Devon District Council and other local entities was successful in securing £50k funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT’s) Restoring your Railway fund This funding was used to support the development of the Strategic Outline Business Case the project lead transferred to Network Rail before late last year when the government announced funding-in-principle to restore railway services A final business case for the reopening of the stations was due to be submitted to government this spring councillors at Mid Devon District Council have indicated they are still committed to reopening the stations by seeing if there is any potential in reversing the decision The council said in a statement: “The council will now do all it can to see if there is any potential of either reversing this decision gaining some clarity over what the new government are planning to do to assist the other long-standing infrastructure needs of this area and to unlock key elements of housing delivery.”  The council believes the project is a vital piece of infrastructure that would help the residents of Cullompton place less reliance on vehicular transport thereby easing pressure associated with M5 junction 28 Devon County Council stated it would make the case to the government for funds to build a second M5 junction and bridge near Cullompton Both projects are considered an integral part to enable the construction of the planned new Culm Garden Village Mid Devon District Council deputy leader and cabinet member for people and development Jane Lock said: “Rest assured we along with our local MPs and local authority partners will do all that we can to help re-focus the new government into providing critical funding to enable the delivery of the key road/rail infrastructure that is so vital to unlocking housing delivery in our district."  Mid Devon District Council deputy leader and cabinet member for housing assets and property Simon Clist said: “We are extremely disappointed with this news however we remain optimistic as this project would help towards one of the new governments planned aspirations - to see national housing delivery of 1.5M new units during the current parliament.”  Like what you've read? To receive New Civil Engineer's daily and weekly newsletters click here. Tagged with: A deal has been struck between the West of England Combined Authority… Passenger services have returned to the Northumberland Line for the first time… The Department for Transport (DfT) spent £43M on Restoring Your Railway projects… A campaign to restore an abandoned railway line that was promised £150M… Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsdevonnewsMoney finally agreed to allow relief road and M5 Junction changesThe plan aims to ease congestion in Cullompton and improve air quality Work can now begin on Cullompton’s new relief road - after a funding agreement between Mid Devon District Council and Homes England It aims to 'ease town centre congestion improve air quality and encourage a more vibrant town centre while supporting the planned growth of the town' A spokesperson for the project said: "While planning permission was secured for the road back in January 2021 work could not begin until the total funding for the multi-million pound infrastructure project was secured with the seeding of a replacement cricket square taking place in late 2024 and further land acquisitions now progressing "While the road represents a major investment the relief road is just the beginning of a broader infrastructure overhaul for Cullompton The Council is also progressing with plans to upgrade Junction 28 of the M5 to accommodate increased capacity and is committed to re-opening Cullompton Railway Station as part of a wider project to improve train services in the sub-region." Director Infrastructure Funding at Homes England added: "Funding from the Housing Infrastructure Fund will enable construction of the Cullompton relief road easing town centre congestion and unlocking much needed new homes "This marks a significant milestone for the scheme and an excellent example of how Homes England supports local authority partners like Mid Devon District Council to make delivery happen." Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) A family-run jewellery business in Mid Devon has announced its 'sad' closure stating improvements worked carried out in Cullompton town centre have 'killed trade' says that the loss of vital car parking spaces during the transformation of the Higher Bullring is resulting in its closure later this month The project was completed at the beginning of 2024 and its aim was to enhance its heritage setting with a new square surrounding the war memorial The scheme also included high-quality paving culminating in a visually appealing space designed for events and community activities like its weekday market their footfall has decreased to the extent that it is no longer financially viable to keep the business going which they established there in 2021 Jenny used to work at Cullompton jewellers Steve & Ash 18 years ago and Thorne & Carter before leaving to set up her own business Announcing the closure on its Facebook page it said: "It is with great sadness that I am informing you that The Little Silver Shop will be closing on January 25 It is particularly sad that the reasons for the closure are in my opinion related to decisions made to redevelop the Bullring area "Since the first day the work started in October 2023 the foot fall to the shop dramatically declined This is taken from actual data recorded not just a suspicion "I feel the main reason behind this was the decision to remove a number of parking spaces that allowed quick Each of the 10 spaces represented hour slots throughout the day equating to a minimum of 80 visitors if not more accessing the town This is something people are not prepared to do for a quick call to a single shop in addition to the walk from Station Road or St Andrews car parks There’s also rumours about the library car park going "Cullompton is not really a ‘browsing’ town; it’s a town where people go to specific shops or premises for a reason Removing these spaces I feel has effectively contributed to killing the towns trade I am not saying the Bullring project should not have happened it could have been done in a way leaving some parking I feel more thought and deliberation should go into this considering the lasting impact it has had Nobody highlighted the impact of the parking spaces until it was too late "I must say interaction with businesses around this was not forthcoming as many did not even know about it the outcome has meant that my business is no longer viable along with many others over the last 12 months "I am very grateful for all of the support from people in the town in my four years I have met some lovely people and enjoyed all of it "I will continue to be open until January 25 Thank you again for everyone who has supported me Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!" An outpouring of support and sympathy has been shared among those who have commented on the post One customer said: "This is very disappointing for Cullompton "Totally understand why you would need to close though A shame that the little things just aren’t thought about when it comes to area development." Fellow business owner Ali Lazarczyk said: "Such sad news to hear Jenny Trying to run a small business and offer a service has to be one of the hardest things to do in the current climate and the decisions made by local planning to remove parking spaces has had an impact on each and every one of the local people like you trying to offer that service "The Little Silver Shop added something special to our town and you will be sadly missed by all of the other traders and your customers We know how hard you have worked and what an achievement it is to have opened and run a small business for four years we will be very sad to see you go but well done on achieving your dream!" Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right TEIGNMOUTH RFC remain mired in the South West Two relegation scrap after suffering a 28-10 defeat at Cullompton. The Stafford Park clash was third-from-bottom Teignmouth’s chance to put some distance between themselves and drop-spot sides Truro and Newton Abbot. Cullompton, who were only seven points clear of the relegation places themselves, knew a loss would drag them back into relegation orbit. Four wins in the last six starts, including this one, have hoisted Cullompton 12 points above the bottom two. Teignmouth, who have only won once in their last nine outings, are hovering three points above Truro and Newton Abbot, who are both on 23 points. Pete Parsons, the Teignmouth captain, felt the final scoreline was not an accurate reflection of the game. “The score line suggests another heavy defeat, but the game was much closer than that,” said Parsons. “We were only 13-10 down with 15 minutes to go, but Cullompton played the conditions better than we did. “We had the vast majority of possession but could not capitalise on it.” It wasn’t the prettiest of games – mud-bath conditions contributed to that – but the only thing that mattered was the result. Cullompton led 13-3 at half time thanks to a Ben Leggott try, plus the conversion and two penalties from Josh Luxon. Jack Mayne landed a penalty for the Teigns. Teignmouth closed the gap to 13-10 early in the second half when Jack Henderson went in for a try that Mayne converted. Cullompton pulled away with a second Leggott try, another from Sevie Hurrell, plus a penalty and conversion from Luxon. Teignmouth finished the game pounding away at the Cullompton line, but were held up twice by the Cullompton pack. Next up is a crucial home clash against local rivals Newton Abbot on Saturday, March 1. Tel: 01626 336600[email protected]Follow us Further Links Update 1 October 2024: Responses to this consultation are summarised in the Consultation Report. The updated draft LCWIP has been revised following consideration of feedback received through the consultation We are working to deliver improved active travel facilities safe and attractive options for local journeys We believe that improved walking and cycling infrastructure would have the following positive impacts for our county: As part of our plans, from Monday 26 February until Wednesday 10 April, we are holding a consultation on our draft Cullompton & Tiverton Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) This identifies key potential routes within Cullompton and Tiverton and onward links to Tiverton Parkway It has been developed by Devon County Council in partnership with Mid Devon District Council and has been informed by previous engagement with key stakeholders Below is an overview of the proposed routes (click on the image to open the map in a new tab) Please click on this link to read the LCWIP document in full The consultation is open until Sunday 7 April at 11:59pm Local authorities are required by the Government to produce LCWIPs which analyse walking and cycling data to identify the cycling and walking infrastructure improvements needed in a particular area This helps us to plan for future investment over the next 10-20 years The types of improvements put forward in an LCWIP might include new crossings cycle routes that are physically separated from motorists and pedestrians Please let us know what you think by completing the survey.  Paper copies of the survey will be available at Cullompton You can join us at our online event to hear more about the proposals: Please email transportplanning@devon.gov.uk to register for the online event We are also holding a drop-in event at Cullompton Town Hall we will carefully analyse your feedback and will take it into account while preparing the final versions of the documents We plan to publish the final version of the LCWIP later in the year The Cullompton & Tiverton LCWIP focuses on a core area encompassing Cullompton and the proposed Culm Garden Village It also considers links in and around Tiverton Cullompton and Tiverton are historic market towns with their location near Exeter making them attractive places to live for those commuting for work New planned housing developments mean that the population of Cullompton is due to rise from 8,900 to 18,000 by 2033 and Tiverton from 22,400 to 30,000 in the same period there is a heavy reliance on cars that has resulted in traffic congestion and there is also a significant number of people commuting out of the towns for work As many people are travelling into the city by car they are also contributing to Exeter’s significant congestion issues an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) has been declared reflecting that air pollution levels may exceed national air quality objectives in some locations The planned growth in population will only add further pressure to the transport network there is a need to reduce the amount of car use by substantially increasing the number of people cycling and walking combined with wider improvements in sustainable transport infrastructure The LCWIP area includes some good existing cycle infrastructure such as the National Cycle Network route 3 (NCN3) sections of shared use path and quiet road routes there are barriers to increasing cycling use safety of cycle routes and hills in some areas By using geographic software to understand journey data we have been able to locate and map the main trip origins and destinations as well as to understand the most direct routes between them (known as ‘desire lines’) Having determined the top priority desire lines six sets of cycling routes have been developed which are (click on the links to open maps of the routes): These proposals would provide 35km of additional traffic free and low-traffic cycle routes, suitable for all ages and abilities. Detailed information about each route is set out in the full LCWIP document Many existing roads within the built-up areas in the LCWIP area have footways for people walking there is still a need to continuously improve conditions for walking to encourage people to walk more often The LCWIP guidance recommends that core walking zones should be identified These zones should normally be in areas with high levels of footfall – such as town centres or business parks – and be of about a five-minute walking distance The following two core walking zones have been identified (click on the links to open maps of the core walking zones): The LCWIP sets out the proposed cycling and walking infrastructure improvements in order of priority and provides a high-level costing of the schemes Government guidance states that priority should be given to improvements that are most likely to have the greatest impact on increasing the number of people who choose to walk and cycle and therefore the greatest return on investment Other factors may also influence the prioritisation of improvements such as the deliverability of the proposed works or opportunities to link with other schemes Given current levels of funding for cycling and walking it is unlikely that all of the schemes within the LCWIP could be completed the LCWIP sets out a prioritised network that can be delivered as and when funding opportunities arise for example from central government or housing/employment developers enabling the eventual creation of a coherent We take accessibility seriously and recognise that some of the information presented in the files available on this page may not be fully accessible to someone using assistive technology such as a screen reader If you need guidance or an alternative format, email transportplanning@devon.gov.uk with details of any preferred format and the assistive technology you use 12 DEC 2024BookmarkTraffic building at junction 29 of the M5 (Image: Motorway Cameras)There were traffic delays on the M5 in Devon this afternoon (Thursday According to traffic monitoring site Inrix a car overturned on the southbound carriageway and all traffic was temporarily held There were delays between junction 28 for Cullompton and junction 29 for Exeter The motorway cleared and traffic returned to normal by 6pm earlier overturned car on M5 Southbound from J28 A373 Honiton Road (Cullompton / Service Area) to J29 A3015 Honiton Road (Exeter / Honiton)." Inrix says: "Severe delays and one lane closed due to overturned car on M5 Southbound from J28 A373 Honiton Road (Cullompton / Service Area) to J29 A3015 Honiton Road (Exeter / Honiton) "Camera shows no traffic had passed through around 16:20 to 17:00." The latest log from Inrix says: "Severe delays and one lane closed due to overturned car on M5 Southbound from J28 A373 Honiton Road (Cullompton / Service Area) to J29 A3015 Honiton Road (Exeter / Honiton) #Devon Due to an incident on the M5 southbound at junction 28 of the M5 surrounding roads are congested. Please use an alternative route if possible and approach with caution. AW @StagecoachSW @BBCDevon pic.twitter.com/ZG4pZmIiF5 Devon and Cornwall Police say: "Police were called to reports of a road traffic collision involving two vehicles on the southbound carriageway of M5 near Cullompton at around 3.55pm today "The extent of any injuries is unclear at this time The latest log from Inrix says: "M5 Southbound blocked stationary traffic due to overturned car from J28 A373 Honiton Road (Cullompton / Service Area) to J29 A3015 Honiton Road (Exeter / Honiton) "Camera shows no traffic is passing through around 16:20." A live traffic map from the AA shows congestion on the M5 Inrix says: "All traffic being temporarily held and stationary traffic due to overturned car on M5 Southbound from J28 A373 Honiton Road (Cullompton / Service Area) to J29 A3015 Honiton Road (Exeter / Honiton) 29 MAY 2024BookmarkCullompton Pre-School Walk to the Moon challengeCullompton Pre-School has conquered the Moon Walk challenge raising funds for education Pupils successfully walked the diameter of the moon—2,139 miles—ahead of their May 17 deadline Participants collectively exceeded the goal by over 100 miles children and their families at Cullompton Pre-School challenged themselves to walk the diameter of the moon “The task was designed to increase fitness and encourage family time.” This ambitious journey was also aimed at coinciding with National Walk to School Week Pre-school leader Amelia Joyner added: “We were looking for a new way of fundraising The children’s progress was meticulously logged accounting for miles walked to and from preschool Amelia celebrated the children’s achievement: “Our little astronauts have done it A week before National Walk to School Week the children from preschool have walked the diameter of the moon – well The initiative also served as a fundraiser raising £585 through online and cash donations The funds will be allocated to a "Movement Project" to enhance physical development resources for the children Amelia added: “We are going to spend the money on a ‘Movement Project’ to buy new resources to support physical development.” The pre-school continues to welcome support for this initiative and invites further donations to benefit the children of Cullompton Pre-School via the Walk the Moon Challenge Cullompton Pre-School Walk to the Moon challenge Network Rail will spearhead the next stage of this project with the development of detailed designs and a full business case following receipt of £5m from the Department for Transport Network Rail will lead on taking this project forward and continue to work closely with partners Mid Devon District Council the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and Great Western Railway The funding will be used to now develop a detailed design for the stations and a full business case to be submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) It is anticipated that this next stage will be completed by no later than the end of December 2023 Subject to the approval of the business case and the receipt of the necessary funding to build the stations construction could start as early as 2024 with the aspiration for both stations to be in operation by 2025 Wellington and Cullompton will provide two additional stations that will serve the Great Western Mainline from London Paddington to Penzance and sit either side of Tiverton Parkway station Both stations closed in 1964 and both towns have grown in population since then and are the largest settlements unserved by a rail station between Exeter and Taunton This latest funding comes from the Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme and follows over £40m of Government investment last year to support the reopening of the Dartmoor Line which was the first of the Government’s Restoring Your Railway schemes to return to service Network Rail’s Industry Programme Director (South West) said: “We are pleased to be leading this next important stage of developments to support the reopening of Wellington and Cullompton stations “The close working relationship between the partners has been integral to us getting this far and this approach will continue to ensure that the station designs and full business case are fit for purpose and help deliver much needed stations for the communities of Wellington and Cullompton.” Director of Place - Mid Devon District Council said: “It is great to see that the considerable time and effort invested by officers and members of Mid Devon and Somerset West and Taunton Councils is paying off and this next stage of project development marks another important milestone We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to realise the goal of the re-opening of Cullompton railway station in 2025.” Assistant Director of Strategic Place and Planning at Somerset West and Taunton Council said: “This is a significant milestone following a number of years of hard work and collaboration and we welcome the expertise and experience that Network Rail will bring in leading the project from this point through to delivery.  “SWT will have a continuing role in working with Network Rail and other stakeholders to ensure that wider land-use master-planning and community issues can be looked at holistically “We look forward to seeing this long-held aspiration for the community of Wellington become a reality.” said: “I pledged to work to bring a rail station to Wellington when I was first elected to Parliament in 2015; and the prospect of a station is fast becoming a reality I am delighted to say Working at Government level and with stakeholders as co-chair of the Somerset and Devon Rail group the project was one of 10 schemes fast tracked by the Department of Transport “The latest welcome allocation of £5m has just been received to develop the detailed business case which sets us on a pathway for a potential opening in 2025 which is tremendously exciting “The station will bring multiple benefits including improved connectivity business opportunities and crucially will decarbonise our transport network My campaign for a cycleway linking Wellington and Taunton will also help people to reduce reliance on cars and encourage active and safe travel by bike to the proposed station.” MP for Tiverton and Honiton said: “As joint chair of The Devon and Somerset Metro Rail Group I’m thrilled the metro project continues to progress at pace I greatly welcome the £5 million of development funding provided by the Government which will refine the details and business case for rebuilding Cullompton railway station “The extension of the Devon Metro is crucial for unlocking potential growth across Devon: creating new opportunities for local businesses and providing an invaluable route for commuters and students “It will also help our efforts to protect the environment easing congestion along the M5 corridor and supporting sustainable travel “Reopening the station has been a key election commitment of mine since becoming an MP and I will continue to work with Mid Devon District Council to ensure we remain on track for success.” said: “We are excited to support this progress on the new stations for Cullompton and Wellington which are large communities undergoing significant expansion and could really benefit from rail services “The development work builds on the introduction by GWR of more through trains between Cardiff and Penzance in December 2021 providing many services that could serve the new stations in the future.” has announced the sale of Court House care home in Cullompton Built around You.Your expert business property advisers Court House is a well-established care business that occupies an attractive converted period property with accommodation for up to 33 elderly residents location close to the centre of the town and within easy reach of the various facilities on offer It was previously owned by Marcus Lyward and Lorna Turner who purchased the home through Christie & Co in 2014 and transformed it into a well-regarded business and improved every aspect of the property including adding more bedrooms They decided to sell to enable them to retire from the sector Following a confidential sales process with Simon Harvey at Christie & Co, it has been purchased by Wade Newmark of BN Care Holdings taking the group to five care homes and 171 registered beds across Exeter and the management team and staff at Court House every success for the future.” “BN Care is incredibly fortunate to take on a home whose history and reputation chime so closely with our values of kindness and community I have owned and operated care homes for the past 18 years and will hopefully bring some of my experience to Court House to take the home forward and to build on the wonderful foundation set down by Marcus and Lorna over the years.” Senior Director – Care at Christie & Co I am delighted to have been able to assist them in exiting the sector as well I am also delighted to have been able to continue the association between Wade’s group and Christie & Co and to have assisted with their continued expansion I wish Wade and his team continued success with the home “The sale of Court House is yet further evidence of the strength of the regional care home market in the South West where we continue to see appetite from buyers such as Wade and others who are looking to grow and indeed despite the challenges the past 12 months have presented the market in the region looks well set for the year ahead.” Court House was sold for an undisclosed price Visit Christie & Co’s Business Search page to find out more about current healthcare listings. Keep up-to-date with our latest listings and more… © Christie & Co 2024 | A member of Christie Group The first passengers could board trains at the proposed new Cullompton railway station in May 2025. Work on reopening stations at both Cullompton and Wellington is progressing well, members of Mid Devon District Council's ruling cabinet have been told. The latest news as it happens across Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Torrington & surrounding North Devon areas. Latest in Local News, information, important updates and local opinions from Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Torrington & surrounding areas. Latest on North Devon sports news, match reports & opinions from Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Torrington & surrounding areas. Local Arts & Culture News from Barnstaple, Bideford, Ilfracombe, South Molton, Torrington & surrounding areas. What is it like to live in North Devon? 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If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. To continue reading this article, you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles! Alternatively, you can pay €0.50 per article, capped at €1 per day. Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism! The first passengers could board trains at the proposed new Cullompton railway station in May 2025. Work on reopening stations at both Cullompton and Wellington is progressing well, members of Mid Devon District Council’s ruling cabinet have been told. Talks have been ongoing for years about the stations, both casualties of the now-infamous Beeching axe in the 1960s that slashed the rail network in Britain at a time when cars were becoming more affordable. Business cases were submitted to the government last year, following which £5 million of development funding was awarded in the Chancellor’s budget. A report to a meeting of the council’s Cabinet said the lead role for the project is set to be handed over to Network Rail, because of their greater knowledge in the field. It explained that retention of the lead role by Mid Devon and Somerset West and Taunton councils would 'therefore be likely to add delay, cost and risk to delivery'. Councillor Richard Chesterton, Cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration, said: “This approach for the way forward was also endorsed at the Devon and Somerset Metro board meeting chaired by our MP Neil Parish on March 4. “Network Rail is now actively progressing work to continue the design development for the railway stations and is procuring further technical work to support the advancement of the projects.â€� Cllr Chesterton added: “We are looking at an approximate figure of the first passengers getting on a train at Cullompton somewhere towards the end of May 2025. “So although it might still feel a long way to some, by rail projects [standards] that’s actually pretty quick and it’s happening and they’re moving forward.â€� In response to the update, leader of the council Bob Deed said: “Yes, I think we’ve been going about eight years so far this project, so another three. We’re nearly there, in rail terms.â€� Cullompton station forms part of the Devon Metro plan by the county council, launched in 2011, to develop the existing railway network based around Exeter into a countywide ‘turn-up-and-go’ service. The town’s former station initially opened in 1844 and was rebuilt in 1931, before closing in 1964 along with Tiverton Junction, Hele, Bradninch and Silverton. It is now the location of a motorway service station. The plans come as construction continues on a new station at Marsh Barton in Exeter, while last year daily services restarted between Okehampton and Exeter. Further update reports will be provided as work progresses towards key milestones, councillors were told. " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g, ' To continue reading this article, please subscribe and support local journalism! Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles. To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in. Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites. You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news! Torrington Mayfair brought plenty of splendid costumes – and sunshine – to the 2025 instalment of the traditional event. Credit: John Insull Members of the quilters group, From a Distance, with their handiwork. Picture: From a Distance The site for Landkey’s new Mazzard Hall, which has bene on the village wish list for more than two decades. Credit: NDC Young revellers and the iconic Ilfracombe May giants arrive at the seafront for Ilfracombe's Jack-in-the-Green 2025. Credit: Tim Lamerton Photography Symptoms can all affect our daily lives, but treatment is available! The rediscovered bell in ‘the cupula’ at Barnstaple Guildhall – thought to date from the early 18th century. Credit: BTC Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles. Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm. has announced the sale of Gold’s Place Dental Practice in Cullompton Gold’s Place is a high-quality single-surgery predominantly private dental practice that offers a range of dental treatments The practice is situated in the market town of Cullompton just under 12 miles northeast of Exeter and a little over 18 miles southwest of Taunton It has been owned by Dr Olga Palmer since 2008 and was brought to market so that she could reduce her working hours and focus solely on clinical work Following a confidential sales process with Jamie Williams at Christie & Co the practice has been purchased by Dr Robert Glenning and Dr Andy Rochester of Devon-based They plan to expand to three surgeries this year former owner of Gold’s Place Dental Practice “I am very pleased about joining the co-operative group of dentists in South Devon called Unity Dental Group I am looking forward to the exciting future ahead working alongside these experienced professionals providing the highest standard of dental care.” “We are delighted that Gold’s Place Dental Practice has joined our existing co-operative of practices in Devon We are especially pleased to confirm that Dr Olga Palmer and her nurse Janis are staying on to help look after the existing patients and welcome new ones we will have new team members joining Gold’s to ensure we can look after as many patients as possible.” Associate Director – Dental at Christie & Co “It was great to have worked with Peninsula Dental Limited on another deal and I’m delighted at the outcome for my client “The independent dental market in the southwest continues to thrive and there are a variety of active buyers in the region Gold’s Place Dental Practice was sold for an undisclosed price Visit Christie & Co’s Business Search page to find out more about current medical listings. WATCHET Town Vikings Under 12s played only their second 11 a side match at their temporary home of Williton Memorial Ground against their Cullompton Rangers’ scounterparts - and it ended in a 4-4 draw on a hot day. Watchet lined up with a back three of Hallie Swaby-Halls, Mia Pipe and Amber Touchin, with Effie Ellwood the backstop behind them all. The goalkeeper and her three defenders played superbly in their new formation. f you would like to join the Watchet Vikings U12 girls team please contact Jack 07939850114 Tel: 01984 632731[email protected]Follow us Further Links