THE EXETER DIGEST

Exeter Digest #20: ICO investigates university - Stagecoach escapes - University strike - Roads dominate Devon transport spending

Our essential newsletter also covers three ongoing public consultations plus an original play by Exeter Drama Company, traditional festive music by candlelight and poetry, comedy and live carols for Christmas.

TOP STORIES

INFORMATION COMMISSIONER TO INVESTIGATE UNIVERSITY OVER STUDENT ACCOMMODATION NUMBERS REFUSAL

Compliance failure follows university admission that nearly 39,000 students based at Exeter campuses in 2021-22, suggesting around three quarters of city’s private rented housing stock occupied by students.

STAGECOACH ESCAPES MAJOR SANCTIONS OVER SERVICE FAILURES

Traffic commissioner decides four days of free weekend travel in Exeter Plus ticket zone is sufficient penalty for poor performance despite public inquiry hearing severe criticism of company.

UNIVERSITY OF EXETER STAFF STRIKE IN LARGEST WALKOUT IN SECTOR HISTORY

Dispute over pay, pensions and working conditions continues as universities generate record income.

MOTOR VEHICLE INFRASTRUCTURE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE DEVON TRANSPORT SPENDING

New active travel infrastructure to receive just 5% share of capital allocations this year and next, with new roads capital expenditure to increase from 74% to 86%.

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ON THE AGENDA

NEW EXETER LOCAL PLAN

The city council’s consultation on the outline draft version of its new local plan, which will guide development in Exeter until 2040, ends on Monday.

HOMELESSNESS AND ROUGH SLEEPING PREVENTION STRATEGY

The city council is also consulting on a new draft homelessness and rough sleeping prevention strategy for 2023-27. An online survey runs until 16 December when the draft strategy will be updated before a final version is published in February next year.

DEVON ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STRATEGY

The county council consultation on its draft electric vehicle charging strategy also closes on 16 December. The strategy will form part of an emerging Local Transport Plan for the area.

ON OUR RADAR

SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER // ST. LEONARD’S CHRISTMAS FAIR

Magdalen Road market returns for its eleventh year with festive food, music and gifts.

THURSDAY 8 TO SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER // WEIRD WOMEN

Exeter Drama Company presents an original play about three sisters who share a dark secret.

SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER & FRIDAY 6 JANUARY // TWO CONCERTS BY CANDLELIGHT

Pianist Alex Wilson plays traditional festive music from around the world at Christmastime.

WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER // SPORK! CHRISTMAS SPECIAL

Poetry, comedy and live music from Joelle Taylor, Luke Wright, BopaRhys and friends plus carols from the Exeter Railway Band.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

RECLAIM THE NIGHT PROTEST AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN PUBLIC SPACE

Exeter event takes place after survey finding that 85% felt unsafe or very unsafe when walking alone in city centre at night, with police figures showing violent and sexual offences exceed 35% of all recorded crime in city.

UNIVERSITY HOLDS PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON 1,700 BED WEST PARK REDEVELOPMENT DESIGN

Outline plans to demolish 30 buildings and construct 50,000m2 of student accommodation on fifteen acre Streatham campus site did not comply with university or council environmental policies.

CLIMATE ACTION HUB OPENS IN EXETER CITY CENTRE

A dedicated climate crisis information and resource centre opens in an empty Princesshay retail unit to provide events, meeting space, film screenings and drop-in advice and support.

FIGURES SHOW DECLINING EXETER WALKING AND CYCLING RATES AS ACTIVE TRAVEL DELIVERY FALLS BY THE WAYSIDE

County council plans to remove Queen Street active travel infrastructure despite road space reallocation commitments expose equivocal city transport policy aim.

PINHOE, ST. LOYE’S AND TOPSHAM ALL IN NEW EXETER EAST AND EXMOUTH CONSTITUENCY UNDER REVISED CHANGES

Final boundary commission consultation follows city council proposal to move marginal Pinhoe to safe Conservative seat and keep Priory Labour stronghold in city.

More stories
2024-25 Devon County Council locality budget community grants allocations by Exeter councillor

Heavitree & Whipton Barton community groups miss out on £14,600 after Danny Barnes fails to sign funding agreements

Voluntary sector grants now lost following 12% councillor attendance record highlighting need for by-elections in absentee cases.

Suspended Devon and Cornwall Police Chief Constable Will Kerr

Criminal investigation into suspended Devon & Cornwall Police Chief Constable dropped

Will Kerr to remain suspended while IOPC resumes previously paused conduct investigation and interim chief constable James Vaughan continues to lead force.

2024 duration in hours of monitored spill events at water company overflow sites bar graph

South West Water bills rise by a third following worst performance in sector with 550,000 hours of sewage spills

Tariffs increase as Environment Agency publishes damning data after South West Water owner Pennon Group issues £24.5 million in dividends to shareholders.

Devon & Torbay Combined County Authority inaugural meeting 19 March 2025

Devon & Torbay CCA sets sail for regional democratic deficit with £500,000 crew

Combined county authority throws public accountability overboard as future regional strategic governance body ratifies constitution at inaugural meeting but fails to explain why so many staff needed to deliver so little at such colossal cost.

Exeter Post Office in Guildhall Shopping Centre WHSmith

Sidwell Street Post Office to close as WHSmith shops sale raises risk of Exeter city centre counter service disappearance

Closure follows loss of Exeter’s last Crown Post Office in Bedford Street, since when all city branches operated by franchisees or independent businesses.

Exeter local elections campaign materials

Help hold Devon’s political parties and politicians to account during the 2025 local elections

Send us any campaign materials you receive so we can fact-check candidates’ claims and hold them to their pledges after the votes have been counted.

On Our Radar
Jess Hughes Cameron and Chin See at 2024 Topsham Music Festival

FRIDAY 25 TO SUNDAY 27 APRIL 2025

2025 Topsham Music Festival

Three day event features jazz, percussion and classical music played by young professional musicians from across the country.

TOPSHAM

Tabatha Andrews sculpture

SATURDAY 26 APRIL TO SATURDAY 21 JUNE 2025

The Slightest Gesture

Sculptor and installation artist Tabatha Andrews presents a new immersive exhibition.

EXETER PHOENIX

Liberation in Venice 1945

SUNDAY 27 APRIL 2025

Festa Di Liberazione

Italian Cultural Association Exeter hosts a day of music, dance, poetry and Italian culture.

KALEIDER

Edward Tripp

TUESDAY 29 APRIL 2025

City Slam 2025

Exeter City of Literature, Taking the Mic and Spork! co-host a third city-wide spoken-word poetry competition.

EXETER PHOENIX

Exeter Pride in Exeter High Street

SATURDAY 10 MAY 2025

Exeter Pride 2025

Exeter Pride returns for a celebration of LGBTQ+ diversity with a parade, marketplace, music, cabaret and more.

NORTHERNHAY GARDENS

Detail from Panorama of Prague from the Schönborn Garden

SATURDAY 10 MAY 2025

Czech Classics

Isca Ensemble and chorus perform a programme by Czech composer Antonín Dvořák.

EXETER CATHEDRAL