North Molton Parish Footpath Officer, Steph Harris, has created an excellent poster for the public rights of way in the Parish, and two circular walking routes.  All are attached here.

If you find a problem on a footpath, if it is in the Exmoor National Park, report it here.  Otherwise, report here. Please also drop the Clerk an email so that we can keep track of resolution of issues (clerk@northmoltonparish.gov.uk).

Please remember that you are responsible for your safety, control of dogs, appropriate behaviour around livestock, and using public and private land with care.  You can find the Countryside Code here.

Happy trails!

UPDATE 26th May 2026 - the footpath Limeslake to Holdridge Woods remains closed at the moment because of an unsafe bridge. This is not expected to be repaired until December 2026.

THE COUNTY OF DEVON (TEMPORARY RESTRICTION)

ROAD FROM HIGH BULLEN CROSS TO HOLYWELL CROSS, ROAD FROM HOLYWELL CROSS TO TWITCHEN BALL CORNER & ROAD FROM TWITCHEN BALL CORNER TO SANDYWAY CROSS., NORTH MOLTON & TWITCHEN) NOTICE 2026

TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF THROUGH TRAFFIC - DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL hereby give NOTICE that: From TUESDAY 2 JUNE 2026 for a maximum of 5 days.

No person shall cause or permit any vehicle to proceed on the sections of Affected Roads. Roads affected - ROAD FROM BRINSWORTHY CROSS TO HOLYWELL CROSS, ROAD FROM HOLYWELL CROSS TO TWITCHEN BALL CORNER & ROAD FROM TWITCHEN BALL CORNER TO SANDYWAY CROSS., NORTH MOLTON & TWITCHEN The alternative, signed, route for vehicles will be via - ROAD CLOSURE WITH DIVERSION, STARTS - TWICTHEN BALL CORNER - WHITE POST - RIDGEWAY CROSS - MOOR LANE - ROAD FROM LATCHGATE CROSS TO ABBOTS CROSS, ROAD FROM ABBOTS CROSS TO BOTTREAUX MILL CROSS, ROAD FROM BOTTREAUX MILL CROSS TO BOMMERTOWN CROSS - B3227 - A361 - NORTH MOLTON R/A - NORTH MOLTON - EAST STREET - BRINSWORTHY CROSS, DIVERSION ENDS & VICE VERSA.

This temporary restriction is considered necessary to enable - PATCHING WORKS.

For additional information contact: MILESTONE INFRASTRUCTURE Telephone: 020 3307 8051 

North Devon Council has launched a renewed crackdown on dog fouling as part of its Clear Messages initiative - a no-nonsense approach to addressing the environmental issues that matter most to residents.

Dog fouling continues to be one of the most frequently reported problems received by the council’s Environmental Health team. Beyond being unpleasant, dog mess poses health risks, particularly to children, impacts play areas and parks, damages community pride, and places repeated pressure on council officers.

While the vast majority of dog owners in North Devon act responsibly, those who fail to pick up after their pets face a £100 fixed penalty notice, rising to a potential £1,000 fine upon summary conviction.

Residents are encouraged to help by reporting incidents online (there is also a link on the main NM website page) and providing photographs, locations and other details such as descriptions or vehicle registrations where it is safe to do so. Evidence from the public is vital in helping officers identify repeat offenders and issue penalties.

The council is also asking residents to support the campaign by following and sharing messages from the council’s Facebook page, helping to spread awareness of responsible dog ownership. Residents should challenge inappropriate behaviour only if they feel safe to do so, with public safety always coming first.

Contact: Sophie Hughes

 sophie.hughes@northdevon.gov.uk

Exmoor local housing need questionnaire

The survey is a collaboration between Somerset and North Devon Councils, as local housing authorities, and Exmoor National Park Authority. Somerset Council will be analysing the responses and, later next year, they will prepare a summary report with information on housing need for each Exmoor parish.

A letter with information about an online housing need questionnaire, has been sent to households in Exmoor National Park and Brushford parish. The letter includes a link and QR code to the survey which is designed to be simple and easy to complete. The information provided through the survey will be dealt with in strict confidence. It will be vital to those considering housing need and provision and will help inform the future Exmoor Local Plan review. The survey is aimed at those who might be finding accommodation in the local area unaffordable, whose home no longer meets their needs, or who wish to own their own home through a self/custom build project.

The letter to Exmoor residents also asks that the survey be shared with people who have moved away and want to return, local workers who live away and travel into the National Park to work or who live on Exmoor with family or others because of the cost of local housing. Anybody wishing to set up their own home, e.g. young people approaching adulthood, is encouraged to complete their own survey separately.

Parish surveys have been the starting point for almost 120 homes with a local need occupancy tie, achieved in Exmoor’s communities through conversions and new build and as self-build.

Additionally, local libraries (Dulverton, Lynton, Porlock and South Molton) have access to a computer and will have paper copies for those who are unable to complete an online survey. If requested, we can provide paper copies to parish /town councils for their parishioners who cannot complete an online survey or visit a local library.

Devon County Council has produced a leaflet on recovery from a flooding incident, attached.

North Devon Council has issued a statement in relation to the clarification of its trade waste service decision:

There has been a lot of discussion about our Trade Waste and Recycling Service. We want to clearly set out the facts and explain how and why this decision was made. Following a detailed review, councillors took the decision to withdraw our trade waste service, including refuse and recycling collections, from 31 March 2026. This decision to stop this service was made after a thorough assessment and was considered by councillors at two separate committee meetings, where options were reviewed before a vote was taken.

The review was carried out because our trade waste and recycling service was costing more to run than it generated in income, and this position was expected to worsen. Trade waste collection is not a service that councils are legally required to provide. Any losses from operating it must be covered by local taxpayers. Councillors were advised that continuing to operate the service would require significant additional investment.

This included

• Replacing specialist collection vehicles at a cost of around £260,000, with new vehicles not available until 2027.
• Hiring vehicles in the meantime would at a cost of more than £100,000 per year.
• Recruiting additional staff.
• Increasing charges to businesses by around 25% to cover costs.
• Central Government requirement to collect food waste separately for trade customers. We have neither the capacity at our depot or the appropriate fleet vehicles to comply with this requirement.
• As a result of the above, many of our customers have a separate contractor for food waste and we are losing customers to these contractors for refuse and recycling.

Some businesses have asked why they pay business rates if we are no longer providing a trade waste service. We would like to clarify this. Business rates are not a payment for specific services.

• We collect business rates on behalf of central government. A significant proportion is passed to central government, with the remainder retained locally to help fund a wide range of statutory council services.
• This year, we estimate to collect £33million in business rates, of which £6million is retained for the North Devon Council budget to be used on statutory services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, housing and provision of temporary accommodation.
• Trade waste collections are a separate, non-statutory service that is paid for directly by businesses and is not funded through business rates.

Taking all of this into account, councillors took the difficult decision to stop all council-run trade waste services, including refuse and recycling collections, from 31 March 2026, in line with the requirement to give at least two months’ notice. We recognise that this decision affects local businesses and was not taken lightly. We are working to support affected customers through the transition. Officers have already spoken to several private waste companies operating locally, and these companies have confirmed they are able to take on new customers. Their details are being shared directly within the letters that have been sent to all existing customers.

Affected businesses have been contacted and this is being followed up with a letter, which should be received in the coming days, with further information and support to help them move to an alternative provider and ensure there is no break in service.

Contact Information

North Devon Council Communications Team communications@northdevon.gov.uk

North Molton Parish Council meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month (unless otherwise marked with *), starting at 7:30 pm. Members of the public are welcome.

Weds 14th January - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 11th February - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 11th March - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 8th April - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 6th May* - The Victory Hall, North Molton [Village Annual Meeting and Parish Council Annual Meeting]

Weds 20th May* - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 10th June - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 8th July - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 12th August -  Heasley Mill Village Hall

Weds 9th September - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 14th October - The Victory Hall, North Molton

Weds 11th November - Heasley Mill Village Hall

Weds 9th December - The Victory Hall, North Molton

For any queries, please contact Ian Fisher, Parish Clerk 07784 177666 clerk@northmoltonparish.gov.uk

Please be advised that the bridge across the river to the north of the Black Cock Inn, which lies in Molland Parish, is going to be closed from Tuesday 2nd December 2025 for major repairs.  The anticipated finish date is October 2026, but may be up to 18 months from the start of work. 

While not in North Molton Parish, some residents may use this route to the A361 and the east. Please see the attached Traffic Notice for further information and alternative routes.

The Parish Council has been approached by a number of parishioners in recent weeks expressing concern about the speed of traffic through the village and the inherent risk to members of the public that this creates. North Molton Parish Council needs to collect facts and figures to quantify how serious the problem might be within the village, and equally important, canvass the views of parishioners on whether the current 30mph legal limit is appropriate given the level of traffic the village experiences.

Community Speedwatch is a national initiative where proactive members of the local communities join, with the support and supervision of their local police, to record details of speeding vehicles using approved detection devices. North Molton Parish Council are looking for volunteers to give some of their time to form a local Community Speedwatch Group. Full training is given by the organisation and no prior experience is needed - just a willingness to help collect data that contributes to a better understanding of traffic safety in our local area.

Councillor Andy Radley is a acting as coordinator for the proposed group and will be happy to talk to anyone who would like to be involved in this fact-finding initiative. Indeed any views on traffic management within the village both for and against any restrictions on speed regulations are welcome.

Please contact the Parish Council via the Clerk (clerk@northmoltonparish.gov.uk or 07784 177666) to register your interest and agree to having your name, email and telephone number on a contact list.

Thanks in advance,

North Molton Parish Council

If you are involved in running a small to medium sized business, a charity, a public sector body or a local community group, and you are concerned about the security of your computers, your IT systems, your website or you just worry about your social media account, please be aware of the South West’s Cyber Resilience Centre. 

Home | Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West

The SW CRC is part of UK Policing’s TEAM CYBER UK and headed up by Steve Shepherd who was previously a Devon and Cornwall Police, Cyber Protect Officer. The SW CRC is a not-for-profit organisation, funded by the Home Office and regional policing. The SW CRC exists to help South-West based small to medium sized businesses, organisations, charities, voluntary groups, and public sector bodies, with their Cyber Security. Cyber Security can feel complicated, expensive, and unmanageable. It can be hard to know where to start, or how to improve resilience.  Professional Cyber Security support is often costly and for many, obtaining such assistance can be well beyond their financial means.  These regional CRC’s have been set up by Government to help those who find themselves in just that position. Much of what is on offer from the CRC is free.

Should you wish to sign up you can do so here - Join Us | Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West

Alternatively, you can contact Steve Shepherd direct at -  steve.shepherd@swcrc.police.uk