News in Exmouth

The results of the local elections on 6 May are in - and the two vacant positions on Exmouth Town Council have now been filled.

Liberal Democrat Angela Boatwright was elected as a Town Councillor for Exmouth Town, receiving 1035 votes. The other candidate was Conservative Tony Hill, who received 645 votes.

Alison Hernandez has retained her role as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly for the next three years.

The Conservative candidate was re-elected to the role with an increased majority on her 2016 win after counting on Monday.

The Conservatives retained control of Devon County Council last week – but saw their vote share drop and their majority slightly reduce.

Under John Hart's leadership, they have been in charge of the council since 2009, and Thursday's local elections saw them stretch that reign until 2025.

The flood defence walls that stretch 342 feet along Exmouth beach, known as the 'Adobe of Love', are set to be tidied up thanks to financial backing from the Honiton-based Thelma Hulbert Gallery and East Devon District Council.

Led by Exmouth artist Anna Fitzgerald, it is hoped that volunteers will come and help clean the nine bays along the walls.

A new bicycle delivery service, 'Execargo', is looking for volunteers for its trial period.

A Transition Exmouth initiative, Execargo is designed to provide a more eco-friendly local delivery service.

A cold caller with an Irish accent went uninvited to an Exmouth home in the Rivermead Avenue area on Friday (7 May).

He told the occupant that he was looking to buy a motorhome, and had noticed that the occupant had one for sale.

Richard Scott and Jeff Trail, the Conservative councillors for Exmouth Division since 2017, have been re-elected.

Cllr Scott secured 3,685 votes, which was 23.5% of total votes cast. Cllr Trail secured 3,727 votes, 23.8% of the total number of votes cast.

Christine Channon, the Conservative councillor for Exmouth & Budleigh Salterton Coastal Division since 1993, has been re-elected.

She secured 2,307 votes, which was as much as 49.2% of total votes cast.

Latest statistics show that as of 2 May, 40.6% of adults in East Devon have had the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

In Devon as a whole, 69.5% of adults have had at least one dose, while 32.4% have had two.

Adults in Exmouth are being encouraged to include regular rapid lateral flow testing in their weekly routine. It's free, painless and results are back within the hour.

Devon County Council has mobile vans that move around the county offering testing to people without symptoms of COVID-19.