These pages have been created for Devon’s parish and town councils with a focus on highway maintenance.
Each electoral division within Devon has a designated Neighbourhood Highway Officer to provide local support and information on highway matters.
Common activities for local councils and community groups
Local councils and community organisations can support the upkeep of their local highways through several Devon County Council schemes.
The Road Warden Scheme enables trained volunteers to carry out approved preventative maintenance, while some self‑help activities can be undertaken separately with prior agreement.
Communities can also maintain public rights of way through the Parish Paths Partnership (P3), strengthen local resilience via the Snow Warden and Flood Warden schemes, and enhance biodiversity through the Life on the Verge initiative.
We only cut grass and vegetation where it is necessary for safety, such as maintaining visibility at junctions, bends and lay-bys. If your local council or community organisation would like more control over grass‑cutting in your area, we may be able to support you to procure and manage this work directly and provide a financial contribution.
For more information, or to discuss interest in taking on local grass‑cutting, please contact grasscutting@devon.gov.uk.
Licences and applications
You may need to apply for a licence or permission before placing items on or near the highway or holding an event that affects traffic. You can apply for:
- Permission to hold a special event that will affect the road network
- Permission to put up banners or decorations close to a road
- Permission to place a semi‑permanent object (for example, a picnic bench) on a road, verge or pavement
- Permission to place a temporary object (for example, a gazebo) on a road, verge or pavement (available from Spring 2026)
Publications
We share tailored highways information with local councils and community groups through our RoadMap newsletter, which is issued two or three times a year. Back issues are available on request.
Registered Snow Wardens also receive Snow Warden Updates when severe weather is expected or underway.
Events
We regularly attend community events such as the Devon Association of Local Councils AGM.
You can hear our latest updates at the next Devon Community Resilience Forum.