Exeter Observer contributors

Bethany Collins

Bethany Collins is a recent University of Exeter graduate, where she received a first class degree in politics with a specialism in representation.

While at university she was an editor of and contributing writer for student newspaper Exeposé.

She is now focussed on examining and holding to account the representative function of Exeter local government.

@bethanyjcollins

Bryn Truscott

Bryn Truscott is a software engineer interested in climate change and the environment, as well as a keen photographer.

Chris Musgrave

Chris Musgrave is a trade union official, political activist and former Exeter city councillor.

He has a background in employment law, campaigning and election management, and has a passion for social and economic justice and protecting the environment.

Chris was also Chair of Trustees for Exeter-based Intercom Trust, an advocacy charity supporting LGBT+ communities across the South West.

Since deciding not to stand for re-election in 2019 he has focussed on democratic and financial scrutiny of local government, seeking to expose waste and inconsistency wherever he finds it.

@chris_musgrave

Chris Wood

Chris Wood is a computer programmer, climate activist, philosopher and grandfather.

He marched with Rock against Racism in the 1970’s, hitch-hiked around Europe and worked as a despatch rider before teaching himself programming and starting a software company.

Chris has worked with Exeter’s youth offending team, been a children’s advocate and, on occasion, jumped out of perfectly fine aeroplanes.

He has also studied philosophy and psychology at Oxford as a mature student.

His software development company had offices in Surrey and California until the family moved to Devon at the turn of the millennium for a radical life change.

@joffa42

Claire Wright

Claire Wright was an independent councillor on Devon County Council and parliamentary candidate for East Devon.

She became a Devon County Councillor in 2013, winning the largest majority of any county councillor two terms running. She represented Otter Valley and sat on the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Committee, among other appointments.

She stood as an independent parliamentary candidate for East Devon in 2015 and 2017, when she won a 25% vote share. Her 2019 campaign attracted national media attention when an MRP YouGov poll found she was the most likely independent to be elected in Britain.

However, despite increasing her vote share to over 40% the national swing preserved 150 years of continuous Conservative East Devon representation at Westminster.

She was previously a councillor on East Devon District Council from 2011 to 2015 and Ottery St Mary Town Council from 2009 to 2013. Her professional background is in public relations, mainly for the NHS and other public sector organisations.

Other posts have included Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association Community Wellbeing Board, which represents the position of local government to Whitehall, with a focus on health and social care. She is also a Woodland Trust Tree Champion for Devon.

Find out more about Claire on her website.

@ClaireWrightInd

Daniel Clark

Daniel Clark was a Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter based in Exeter.

He covered Devon County Council and the county’s district councils and other public service organisations for Local News Partnerships, a BBC-funded public interest democracy reporting scheme in which Exeter Observer is a partner.

@HEDanielClark

Freya Garry

Freya Garry is a member of the UK Climate Resilience team based at the Met Office in Exeter.

Freya’s work contributes to a UK wide project on Climate Resilience, the Strategic Priority Fund for Climate Resilience.

Freya is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion across science and is involved with diversity initiatives in Exeter.

Freya co-founded the Women in Climate network at the University of Exeter, is involved in the PRISM Exeter network and is a keen climate science communicator, participating in the Climate Stories project.

Find out more about Freya on her Met Office profile page.

@freyagarry

Jenna McGill

Jenna McGill is a court reporter who did her NCTJ Diploma portfolio work experience with Exeter Observer.

@JennaMcGill20

Laura Davies

Laura Davies has a background in education, teaching in London primary schools for seven years during which time she was an active union member.

She has worked for a number of independent, local businesses since moving to Exeter seven years ago, and has become increasingly involved in climate activism.

Laura is a keen cyclist, ornithologist and part-time DJ, regularly playing at Exeter Pride.

@lauradaviesdj

Leigh Curtis

Leigh Curtis is membership co-ordinator and community & culture editor of Exeter Observer and a director of its publisher Exeter Observer Limited.

She has a background in print design and production and project and account management with leading London media and design agencies.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she has also managed exhibitions and degree shows.

@leighcurtis

Louise Stinchcombe

Louise Stinchcombe is a freelance educator with more than ten years' experience working in a range of educational institutions and with children with special educational needs.

She graduated with an MA in Religion in Global Politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in 2017 and continues to take an active interest in world politics, conflicts and gender-based violence.

Louise is a budding naturalist with a keen interest in conservation and rewilding and has been involved in climate activism since 2018.

@loustinch

Martin Redfern

Martin Redfern is editor of Exeter Observer and a director of its publisher Exeter Observer Limited.

He has 30 years’ experience working with public and private sector organisations in multi-stakeholder contexts to achieve social change goals, and has been actively engaged with public policy and practice around climate change since the 1992 Rio Summit.

He holds a Master’s degree with distinction in Journalism at Birkbeck, University of London and has a background in campaigning, project management and multimedia design and development.

He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists and the Society of Editors and is an accredited UK press card holder.

@martinredfern

Mike Myshko

Mike Myshko is a film-maker, photographer and designer.

He has a background in physics, animation and web development, and is passionate about telling unique stories and helping bring small projects to life.

After working on a number of well-received feature films, co-producing and selling an award-winning film to a major streaming platform, he is developing personal projects focussed on environmental issues, democracy and minority voices.

He has skills in branding, identity and web design alongside grading, compositing, motion graphics and post supervision.

Mike also has a first class BSc in Broadcast Technology and is a member of BECTU.

Find out more about Mike on his website.

@heymyshko

Mike Walton

Mike Walton is Chair of Exeter Cycling Campaign, a charity which promotes safe, convenient cycling in and around Exeter.

Exeter Cycling Campaign wants to see cycling become an everyday choice in Exeter for people of every age and ability on safe, direct, connected and convenient paths.

It believes that cycling delivers a clean, space-efficient way for people to travel which contributes to tackling key challenges including air pollution, traffic congestion and unhealthy lifestyles.

Find our more on the Exeter Cycling Campaign website.

@miketwalton

Moragh Mason

Moragh Mason is a researcher for Exeter Observer.

She has a background in the public sector in a variety of roles including investigation and research report writing.

Having escaped the world of work she continues to put her research skills to good use.

She is particularly concerned about the loss of green space in Exeter and was involved in the campaign to save the Clifton Hill sports centre site from development.

Naomi Parkinson

Naomi Parkinson is an artist and campaigner working in marketing and events.

She has lived in East Devon since completing a degree in Film and English in London.

She is an environmental campaigner and active community participant, recently contributing to independent Claire Wright’s general election campaign.

@NaomiDJPerfect

Ollie Heptinstall

Ollie Heptinstall is a Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter based in Exeter.

He covers Exeter City Council, Devon County Council, Teignbridge District Council and Mid Devon District Council as well as Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue for Local News Partnerships, a BBC-funded public interest democracy reporting scheme in which Exeter Observer is a partner.

@OliHepy

Peter Cleasby

Peter Cleasby is a contributing editor of Exeter Observer.

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. He was also a Treasury-accredited reviewer of high-risk programmes and projects.

On leaving the civil service, he freelanced as a policy, management and governance consultant and became a trustee of several national and local charities. He is also involved with Exeter Green Party as a volunteer researcher.

@Peter_Cleasby

Piers Forster

Piers Forster is Professor of Physical Climate Change and Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, and a member of the UK Climate Change Committee.

He has played a significant role authoring Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports including a co-ordinating lead author role for the IPCC sixth assessment report.

@piersforster

Roz Harding

Roz Harding is a jazz saxophonist who teaches at Exeter College where she also leads the Jazz Project and Jambassadors.

She has performed in a wide variety of ensembles and recording projects. Her music has been played on Jazz FM and BBC Radio 6 Music and she has played live on air for BBC Radio 3 and at venues including Ronnie Scotts, The Vortex, London Jazz Festival, Kings Place, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Women in Jazz and Birmingham Jazz.

She can be found playing in Mike Westbrook’s The Uncommon Orchestra, Kate Westbrook’s GRANITE, Dave Holdsworth’s New Brew, Emma Welton’s A Quiet Night In, Billie Bottle and the Multiple and leading her own project SUPERMOOD. She has also started working with Tom Glazebrook and his visual theory of music Meta-Harmony.

Roz has been involved in numerous youth projects in the UK and Europe, including Devon Youth Jazz Orchestra, and teaches at Exeter College, Plymouth University and South West Music School.

Sam Sleeman

Sam Sleeman is a climate activist, writer and student.

Sam works with Fridays for Future Exeter to mobilise the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement and organise around a Green New Deal.

He is reading Human, Social and Political Science at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and has been published in The Guardian, The Ecologist, The Big Issue and Open Democracy.

Sam enjoys cycling, climbing on Dartmoor and making documentaries.

@sleeman_sam

Vanessa Miles

Vanessa Miles is a portrait, editorial and events photographer and photography educator with a special interest in how to use positive environmental imagery to engage the public with climate and biodiversity debates.

She has been a photography tutor at Exeter Phoenix since 2013 and is a director of Well Image Community Interest Company, a social enterprise which helps people develop their creativity and enhance their mental and physical wellbeing using photography.

She has exhibited at Exeter Phoenix, Exeter Picture House, Plymouth Art Weekender and The Art Institute, Plymouth and her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Times, Country Life, The Ecologist and Resurgence.

She works with individuals, workshop groups, families and organisations and is a frequent collaborator on scientific and environmental projects.

Vanessa has a long history photographing all things environmental stemming from setting up The Environmental Picture Library in London in 1989, the first independent picture library specialising in environmental issues in the UK.

Find out more about Vanessa on her portfolio website.

@VMilesPhoto

Vlada and Kostiantyn Liberov

Vlada and Kostiantyn Liberov are Ukrainian photographers who have been capturing the lives and experiences of ordinary people living through some of the darkest moments in Ukraine's modern history.

Before the February 2022 Russian invasion they were wedding and portrait photographers and photography instructors in Odesa. They relocated to Kharkiv after its liberation to help the world see what is taking place in Ukraine.

During the invasion the couple have often come under fire, seeking to be as close to the fighting as possible to document the everyday experiences of Ukrainian people and their country’s defenders.

Their photographs have appeared in newspapers, magazines and on television across the world, and have been featured on social media by Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Find our more on their website.

Community share offer
Community share offer
Exeter Observer community
Let's reclaim local journalism - Help publish the independent journalism Exeter needs in the community-owned newspaper it deserves

Let's reclaim local journalism

Invest in local news that matters and help publish the independent journalism Exeter needs in the community-owned newspaper it deserves.

Invest in local news that matters - Help publish the independent journalism Exeter needs in the community-owned newspaper it deserves

Invest in local news that matters and help Exeter Observer to grow

We're raising money to expand our team and publish the independent journalism Exeter needs in the community-owned newspaper it deserves.

Exeter local elections campaign materials

Help hold Exeter's political parties to account during the local elections

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

All Exeter Observer community
Exeter in brief

SOUTH WEST WATER owner Pennon Group has increased its shareholder dividend by nearly 11% to £112 million despite making a pre-tax loss of £8.5 million and being fined £2.15 million after pleading guilty to thirteen environmental offences committed across Devon and Cornwall. CEO Susan Davy said the company, which also owns Bristol Water, had “delivered improvements in environmental performance”

EXETER CITY COUNCIL member’s allowances and expenses came to a total of £409,000 in the year to March 2023, with council leader Phil Bialyk claiming £28,400 and receiving gifts and hospitality at Sandy Park stadium.

The city council has agreed to allow four music concerts at SANDY PARK STADIUM in June with up to 15,000 people in attendance, tickets for which have already been on sale for two months. Its planning committee heard accounts of extreme anti-social behaviour by visitors attending events at the venue as well as other adverse impacts on local residents and imposed traffic and parking, noise, litter and opening and closing time restrictions on the concerts.

An Ofsted monitoring report on DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL CHILDREN’S SERVICES, the fifth since the local authority was judged inadequate in January 2020, has found that the “quality of social work practice across Devon remains inconsistent”. Inspectors found “pockets of better practice” and “some positive changes” but said that weak management oversight, insufficient challenge and poor care planning all continue to cause problems. It also said a high turnover rate in agency social work staff, who make up more than 40% of the workforce, is having an adverse impact.

More Exeter in brief
News
AirBnB website listing page

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

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.

University of Exeter students 2001-2023 Freedom Of Information Act responses vs published Full-Time Equivalent numbers line chart

PLANNING & PLACE

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.

Harry Johnson-Hill Exeter Duryard & St James and Winchester Alresford & Itchen Valley candidate local elections campaign leaflets

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

Exeter local elections candidate is also standing in Winchester

University of Exeter student Harry Johnson-Hill hopes to represent voters both in Duryard & St James and at home in Alresford & Itchen Valley, 100 miles away.

All News
Analysis
Closed doors at County Hall

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

Closed doors at County Hall for councillor conduct hearings

A survey of local authority approaches to standards committee hearings finds Devon County Council alone in imposing private determination of conduct complaints.

Exeter City Council ballot share by ward 2016-23

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

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.

2023 Exeter local elections guide graphic showing current council seat distribution

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

2023 Exeter local elections guide

City council elections take place on Thursday 4 May. Our essential guide highlights who's standing where, wards to watch and what the results might be. It also covers the wider context, voter ID and the impact of First Past the Post in Exeter elections.

All Analysis
Comment
Exeter City Council annual meeting

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

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.

Satellite image showing two minute pedestrian route from The Cottage, Nadderwater to Newbery car breakers, Redhills

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

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.

Exeter City Council community grants budgets including 2023-24 virements bar chart

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

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.

All Comment
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.

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
All topics

ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY   AIR QUALITY AIR QUALITY AIR QUALITY   COP26 COP26 COP26   COVID-19 COVID-19 COVID-19   CITYPOINT CITYPOINT CITYPOINT   CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE   CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS   CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS CLIMATE CRISIS   CO-LIVING CO-LIVING CO-LIVING   CONGESTION CONGESTION CONGESTION   COUNCIL TAX COUNCIL TAX COUNCIL TAX   CROWN ESTATE CROWN ESTATE CROWN ESTATE   CYCLING & WALKING CYCLING & WALKING CYCLING & WALKING   DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT DEMOCRATIC DEFICIT   DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE   DEVON CARBON PLAN DEVON CARBON PLAN DEVON CARBON PLAN   DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL   DEVON PENSION FUND DEVON PENSION FUND DEVON PENSION FUND   EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL   EXETER AIRPORT EXETER AIRPORT EXETER AIRPORT   EXETER CATHEDRAL EXETER CATHEDRAL EXETER CATHEDRAL   EXETER CITY COUNCIL EXETER CITY COUNCIL EXETER CITY COUNCIL   EXETER CITY FUTURES EXETER CITY FUTURES EXETER CITY FUTURES   EXETER CITY LIVING EXETER CITY LIVING EXETER CITY LIVING   EXETER CLIMATE ACTION HUB EXETER CLIMATE ACTION HUB EXETER CLIMATE ACTION HUB   EXETER COLLEGE EXETER COLLEGE EXETER COLLEGE   EXETER CULTURE EXETER CULTURE EXETER CULTURE   EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND   EXETER LIVE BETTER EXETER LIVE BETTER EXETER LIVE BETTER   EXETER LOCAL PLAN EXETER LOCAL PLAN EXETER LOCAL PLAN   EXETER PHOENIX EXETER PHOENIX EXETER PHOENIX   EXETER PRIDE EXETER PRIDE EXETER PRIDE   EXETER SCIENCE PARK EXETER SCIENCE PARK EXETER SCIENCE PARK   EXETER ST DAVID'S EXETER ST DAVID'S EXETER ST DAVID'S   EXETER TRANSPORT STRATEGY EXETER TRANSPORT STRATEGY EXETER TRANSPORT STRATEGY   EXETER CITY CENTRE EXETER CITY CENTRE EXETER CITY CENTRE   EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER   FREEDOM OF INFORMATION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION   FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EXETER FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EXETER FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE EXETER   GENERAL ELECTIONS GENERAL ELECTIONS GENERAL ELECTIONS   GUILDHALL GUILDHALL GUILDHALL   HARLEQUINS HARLEQUINS HARLEQUINS   HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP   HOUSING CRISIS HOUSING CRISIS HOUSING CRISIS   LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+   LIBRARIES UNLIMITED LIBRARIES UNLIMITED LIBRARIES UNLIMITED   LIVEABLE EXETER PLACE BOARD LIVEABLE EXETER PLACE BOARD LIVEABLE EXETER PLACE BOARD   LIVEABLE EXETER LIVEABLE EXETER LIVEABLE EXETER   LOCAL INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY LOCAL INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY LOCAL INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY   LOCAL ELECTIONS LOCAL ELECTIONS LOCAL ELECTIONS   MAKETANK MAKETANK MAKETANK   MARSH BARTON MARSH BARTON MARSH BARTON   MET OFFICE MET OFFICE MET OFFICE   MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL MID DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL   NET ZERO EXETER NET ZERO EXETER NET ZERO EXETER   NORTHERNHAY GARDENS NORTHERNHAY GARDENS NORTHERNHAY GARDENS   OXYGEN HOUSE OXYGEN HOUSE OXYGEN HOUSE   PARIS STREET PARIS STREET PARIS STREET   PARKING PARKING PARKING   PENINSULA TRANSPORT PENINSULA TRANSPORT PENINSULA TRANSPORT   PLANNING POLICY PLANNING POLICY PLANNING POLICY   PRINCESSHAY PRINCESSHAY PRINCESSHAY   PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT   PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION   PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH   PUBLIC PARKS PUBLIC PARKS PUBLIC PARKS   PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC REALM   PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT   RAMM RAMM RAMM   REFUSE & RECYCLING REFUSE & RECYCLING REFUSE & RECYCLING   RETROFIT RETROFIT RETROFIT   ROYAL DEVON NHS TRUST ROYAL DEVON NHS TRUST ROYAL DEVON NHS TRUST   SIDWELL STREET SIDWELL STREET SIDWELL STREET   SOUTH WEST EXETER EXTENSION SOUTH WEST EXETER EXTENSION SOUTH WEST EXETER EXTENSION   SOUTH WEST WATER SOUTH WEST WATER SOUTH WEST WATER   SOUTHERNHAY SOUTHERNHAY SOUTHERNHAY   SPORT ENGLAND LOCAL DELIVERY PILOT SPORT ENGLAND LOCAL DELIVERY PILOT SPORT ENGLAND LOCAL DELIVERY PILOT   ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE ST SIDWELL'S COMMUNITY CENTRE   ST SIDWELL'S POINT ST SIDWELL'S POINT ST SIDWELL'S POINT   STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST   STUDENT ACCOMMODATION STUDENT ACCOMMODATION STUDENT ACCOMMODATION   TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL   UNIVERSITY OF EXETER UNIVERSITY OF EXETER UNIVERSITY OF EXETER  

More stories