Dawlish News

Controversial plans to split Exeter's Parliamentary seat along the River Exe have been scrapped, the Echo can reveal today. The Boundary Commission for England has abandoned proposals to cut a chunk off the city's seat west of the river. In a dramatic U-turn, the commission has ditched plans to hive off Alphington, Cowick, Exwick and St Thomas into a massive 'Mid Devon' seat stretching to Dartmoor. The commission is instead backing fresh plans to transfer the Exeter wards of Topsham and St Loyes - and 7,500 voters - out of the city to East Devon. It is also proposing to create a new 12th Devon Parliamentary constituency, called 'Central Devon' rather than Mid Devon, carved out of the heart of the county.