Peter Cleasby is Exeter Observer’s transport correspondent.
After reading French and German at New College, Oxford he entered the civil service where he worked largely in policy development and business management across several departments, ending up as a deputy director in DEFRA.
On leaving the civil service, he freelanced as a policy, management and governance consultant and became a trustee of several national and local charities.
Stagecoach proposes free travel and fast-tracked information upgrades to compensate for service failures
West of England traffic commissioner holds Exeter’s principal bus operator to account at public inquiry, with final decision on performance expected this week.
Bus back better? Exeter services expected to remain unfit for purpose without needed changes
Government underfunding and bus sector challenges limit scope for improvement but county council failure to upgrade routes and policy ambitions plus high housing costs make Exeter difficulties acute, undermining net zero aspirations.
Low attendance levels among some councillors mean Exeter electors get varying value for their votes
As part of our 2022 Exeter local elections coverage we have assessed the past year’s attendance figures for public council meetings as a measure of councillor commitment to their constituents.
Prospects improve for pop-up Paris Street and Sidwell Street tenants wanting to stay on development site
Council leader Phil Bialyk says it will be “some years” before planned Citypoint redevelopment affects repurposed retail units, and that council “would want” to accommodate artistic and cultural initiatives and independent local businesses “should they wish to remain”.
City council outsourcing Exeter local government to unaccountable Liveable Exeter Place Board
An Exeter Observer investigation of Liveable Exeter Place Board has found that it is a de facto decision-making and governance body which exercises public functions with the potential to affect everyone who lives and works in Exeter.
Freedom of information requests reveal Liveable Exeter Place Board “chumocracy” overseeing the city
Despite the significance of Liveable Exeter Place Board’s role in determining the city’s future, its members are selected and appointed on a secretive, informal basis.
