Guy Henderson

Exeter City Council has approved amended plans for Cygnet Health Care to build a 54-bed mental health hospital near St Nicholas Primary School in Birchy Barton. The proposal attracted 235 objections, including concerns about the site's suitability and proximity to children, while supporters cited the growing need for local mental health services. The facility is intended to provide acute, rehabilitation and low-secure care for men and women and employ about 150 staff. Construction must begin within three years.

Paignton Monastery has been transferred to the Paignton Monastery Community Interest Company for £1 after nearly a year of negotiations with Torbay Council. The former 1883 building, which closed in 2017, requires significant safety work before reopening. The group plans a phased restoration and is seeking volunteers and donations, while inviting residents to help shape its future as a community hub.

Developers rebuilding Exeter’s fire-damaged Royal Clarence Hotel will contribute £360,000 toward affordable housing and related local infrastructure, rather than the £2.4m initially expected. An independent assessment concluded that the original figure was too high given the complexity and heritage requirements of the £17m redevelopment. The reduced contribution may fund only one or two council homes instead of the potential 20, although the money will also support Exe Estuary habitats and local GP surgeries. The project will create 25 apartments, a pub and a restaurant, with completion expected about two years after work began in January.

Torbay Council is consulting the public on three proposed layout options to improve pedestrian and cycle crossings at Abbey Gates Junction in Torquay, where seven roads meet and there are currently no signalised pedestrian crossings. The council says the junction can be confusing and unsafe, particularly for families, people using mobility aids and visitors. The consultation closes at 17:00 BST on 10 August.

A new memorial plaque and bench were installed near Start Point in Devon to honour Czech Wing Commander Alois Vasatko, whose Spitfire crashed into the sea in 1942 after colliding with a German aircraft. The tribute was created by the UK Ministry of Defence and the Czech Armed Forces, with contributions from Stokenham Parish Council. Vasatko, a senior RAF Czech officer decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross, played a key role in RAF fighter operations during World War Two. The memorial marks the site near where seven Spitfires were lost during a mission escorting bombers over occupied France.