TOP STORIES
EXETER COUNCILLOR YVONNE ATKINSON FOUND IN BREACH OF CODE OF CONDUCT BUT ESCAPES PROSECUTION
Summary of investigation related to rental property interests involving Devon & Cornwall Police and Crown Prosecution Service withheld by Devon County Council while councillor campaigned for re-election to Exeter City Council. Full story here.
UNIVERSITY COMES CLEAN ON TRUE EXETER CAMPUS STUDENT NUMBERS OVER PAST TWO DECADES
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information Act confirm between 7,500 and 12,000 more students based in city each year than university numbers suggest – until this year – with major implications for council planning policy. Full story here.
LABOUR COUNCILLORS AGAIN APPOINTED TO ALL THIRTEEN COMMITTEE CHAIRS AT ANNUAL COUNCIL MEETING
Council leader finally quits planning committee alongside other remaining Executive member but persists with secret board that enables scrutiny evasion. Full story here.
LOCAL NEWS THAT MATTERS
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EXETER IN BRIEF
MAGDALEN ROAD is expected to reopen on Saturday 27 May following pavement widening and its permanent conversion to one-way traffic at a cost of £1 million.
TOPSHAM LIBRARY is to move to a smaller upstairs space following a proposed rent increase for its current ground floor accommodation at Nancy Potter House. The library will close on 12 June and reopen on 27 June, and will be accessible via a lift.
EXETER CITY COUNCIL has promoted its ranking in a “Good Growth for Cities” accountancy firm report despite the report finding that Exeter’s economy is expected to contract significantly during 2023. The council neither mentions that it is the third worst performing city among the 50 surveyed nor provides a link to the report, which the council leader welcomed.
Industry regulator Ofwat has launched an enforcement investigation into SOUTH WEST WATER leakage performance reporting, the accuracy of which was in doubt following a November 2022 Ofwat assessment of the company’s progress in this area.
A Higher Education Policy Institute report has found that the 2021-22 cohort of 1,285 first-year Exeter INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS brought £140.7 million in net benefits to the UK economy, primarily in the form of tuition fees, accommodation provision and living costs and visitor expenditure. Exeter international student numbers have increased by 20% in the past two years.
PENINSULA TRANSPORT has published a South West transport decarbonisation strategy which hopes to reduce the 4.4 million tCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions the region’s transport currently generates each year. Current policy is only expected to address one quarter of the total by 2050.
An application to construct a 167-bed seven storey co-living block in SUMMERLAND STREET is expected to reignite controversy around Exeter City Council allowing the use of its land to provide “student accommodation in all but name”.
DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL has approved a £1.7 million 700 metre two-way segregated cycling scheme in Rifford Road to form part of the E12 north/south cycle route between Honiton Road and Ludwell Lane.
ON THE AGENDA
EXETER CITY COUNCIL is inviting reactions to its proposed amendments to its existing planning policy restrictions on the conversion of residential housing to multiple occupancy dwellings, frequently lived by students, near the university. There are exhibitions from 1-7pm on Wednesday 7 June at Exeter Guildhall, 1.30-7pm on Tuesday 13 June at Newtown Community Centre in Belmont Park and 1-7pm on Tuesday 20 June at St James Church Hall in Mount Pleasant Road. Printed copies of its plans will also be available at the Civic Centre and in libraries until the consultation concludes on 3 July.
The UNIVERSITY OF EXETER is inviting local residents to express their views on the future of Hoopern Valley, below Duryard Valley Park, where it is already intending to site a six acre 1.07MWp solar farm and substation which would involve fencing off part of the publicly-accessible greenspace. Other potential uses for the 38 acre mix of pasture and woodland through which Taddiford Brooke passes are a carbon sequestration and storage facility and a research resource which may involve the construction of buildings on the site. The consultation runs to 26 May.
A public consultation on a draft DEVON, CORNWALL AND ISLES OF SCILLY CLIMATE ADAPTATION STRATEGY which will attempt to minimise the impact of climate change on the South West peninsula is under way until 30 June. The full draft strategy is here. Publication of a revised, final version of the plan is expected in August before partnership organisations will be invited to endorse it during the autumn, four and a half years after Devon County Council convened the Devon Climate Emergency Response Group to “act now to tackle [the] climate emergency”.
ON OUR RADAR
WEDNESDAY 31 MAY // EXETER CLIMATE HUB
How can Exeter Observer help our city to thrive? Come along to an informal event loosely themed around democracy and governance and share your ideas on how we might grow the independent journalism Exeter needs. More info here.
SATURDAY 10 & SUNDAY 11 JUNE // BELMONT PARK
Exeter Respect Festival returns for its 26th year with live music and performance, food stalls, campaigners and community groups. More info here.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
EXETER ELECTORAL TECTONIC PLATES RUMBLE AS POLITICAL LANDSCAPE SHIFTS
Labour takes second Conservative seat in Topsham but loses in St Thomas to Liberal Democrats as Green wins in Heavitree, St David’s and Newtown & St Leonards place party second in 2023 city council elections. Full story here.
EXETER CITY COUNCIL 2023 LOCAL ELECTIONS RESULTS
The votes cast, ballot share and change by party plus turnout and postal votes in each ward with the overall distribution of seats. Full story here.
HOW FAR DOES THE COUNCIL LEADER HAVE TO GO BEFORE HE SEES A PLANNING COMMITTEE CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
Phil Bialyk led charge against application to develop site 160 yards from his house despite conduct codes and LGA planning probity guidance. Full story here.
COUNCILLOR FALSELY LABELS COMMUNITY GRANTS CUTS STORY “MISINFORMATION”
Labour’s Martin Pearce brands Exeter Observer “opposition propaganda” at full city council meeting, earning rebuke from Lord Mayor and putting council at risk of code of practice breach during pre-election period. Full story here.
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