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.
Exeter City Council executive members take direct control of city planning decisions
Council’s executive now possesses majority on city planning committee, with council leader and planning portfolio holder also included despite national guidance, offering basis to challenge decisions and increasing democratic deficit.
Unelected Liveable Exeter Place Board created to oversee city from the shadows
Exeter City Council has convened an unelected board that meets in private, does not publish its discussions or decisions and is taking responsibility for major policies which will determine Exeter’s future.
Exeter City Council accepts climate emergency plan to make city carbon neutral by 2030
Chief Executive warns that resourcing the plan is “problematic” given COVID-19 financial challenges and that lack of resources limits the council’s capacity for immediate practical action.
Coronavirus halts decision to spend £3.9 million on car park repairs and upgrade
Exeter City Council spending plans will be revisited in June at same time as Net Zero Exeter carbon reduction plan is discussed by Executive.
Is Exeter finally responding to the climate emergency?
A surge of activity about action to combat climate change is taking place in Exeter, including the publication of a carbon neutral blueprint pending a ‘mobilisation summit’, but detail and evidence is still missing and community engagement is falling short of debate.
Echoes of Exeter’s Roman past reveal risks to city’s future vision
The unexpected discovery of Roman remains on Exeter’s bus station redevelopment site suggests significant risks may also exist for the adjacent Citypoint regeneration scheme.
