Exeter Observer contributors

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

Exeter Observer welcomes contributions from writers, editors and photographers who share our values and want to help produce our independent public interest journalism.

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High Court rules council meetings must resume in person after local elections

Case seeking judgement to allow local authority meetings to continue remotely when temporary coronavirus regulations expire fails to override requirement for primary legislation.

NEWS ⁄ DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

May local elections to go ahead despite COVID-19 challenges

Ban on doorstep canvassing and door to door leaflet distribution likely to favour the two major parties on 6 May as postal and proxy voting encouraged in Exeter City Council, Devon County Council and Devon & Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

Exeter City Futures Net Zero Exeter 2030 plan

NEWS ⁄ CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

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.

Cyclists, pedestrians and cars compete for space on Union Road, Exeter, 1 June 2020

NEWS ⁄ TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

Devon County Council fails to deliver promised COVID-19 cycling and walking infrastructure

Deadline for action on social distancing for safe travel set by county cabinet member passes despite Devon receiving £1.7 million share of government emergency fund.

Pulling Road Pinhoe Exeter zero carbon housing development site plan

ANALYSIS ⁄ PLANNING & PLACE

Exeter's first "zero carbon" housing development includes 96 car parking spaces for 40 homes

Exeter City Council has approved plans to develop land at Pinhoe with a parking ratio of 2.4 cars per household as part of an "exemplar scheme for future residential development in the city" while accepting that zero carbon construction comes "at a cost to the provision of affordable housing".

Cranbrook town centre development site empty plots

NEWS ⁄ PLANNING & PLACE

Cranbrook town centre community building application submitted

Devon County Council is to develop new town centre facilities including a children's centre with public health nursing provision, youth centre with indoor and outdoor recreational spaces and library with small café.

Exeter Princesshay deserted under COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown

NEWS ⁄ DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

Exeter City Council announces £1.584m April budget shortfall caused by COVID-19 restrictions

Council revenues have fallen dramatically during the coronavirus pandemic, prompting a £6.357 million capital spending deferment. But financial support from government has so far been limited.

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News

Exeter Article 4 Direction area July 2011 map

PLANNING & PLACE

St. James HMO conversion refusal overturned at appeal

Council failed to provide sufficient evidence to support 2012 planning policy introduced to limit impact of student occupation of residential housing stock.

PLANNING & PLACE

Progressive Group planning enforcement proposal adopted despite public Labour rejection

Newly-published register also reveals council has issued as many planning enforcement notices in the past three months as it has in the past three years.

Exeter Statement of Community Involvement cover

PLANNING & PLACE

Council rejects calls for greater community involvement in Exeter planning policy and decisions

Council defends existing approach despite Statement of Community Involvement consultation producing just 17 responses, and won't do more to promote neighbourhood planning despite prospect of enhanced community powers.

All News

Analysis

Stagecoach app showing Exeter bus service delays and cancellations

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

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.

Exeter City Futures website - vision & mission summary

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

University emissions study confirms Net Zero Exeter plan redundancy

Council retains Exeter City Futures' services despite history of delivery failures and lack of capacity to support defined decarbonisation targets.

Greenhouse gas protocol for cities - sources and boundaries of city greenhouse gas emissions (scale)

CLIMATE & ENVIRONMENT

Exeter greenhouse gas report disregards hundreds of thousands of tonnes of annual city emissions

Restricted scope of study misrepresents scale of city's impact to produce partial decarbonisation targets while ignoring opportunities to reduce emissions imported by residents, businesses and visitors, guaranteeing net zero failure.

All Analysis

Comment

Exeter City Futures Exeter Development Fund presentation slide

PLANNING & PLACE

Exeter Development Fund: rent extraction, unaffordable housing and gentrification, but not net zero

Exeter City Futures' private debt-driven Liveable Exeter property development financing scheme is under fire from councillors who say it is based on insufficiently-evidenced assumptions and won't meet Exeter's housing needs.

TRANSPORT & MOBILITY

Exeter cycling & walking strategy five years late and counting

County council soft-pedalling on infrastructure plan which city council says will not form part of new Exeter Local Plan despite Department for Transport guidance.

Liveable Exeter community engagement with council development director Ian Collinson

PLANNING & PLACE

Property development promotion as community planning participation

If the Liveable Exeter property development scheme and its Exeter Development Fund financing vehicle are already intended to "anchor and underpin" the new Exeter Local Plan, what will public consultation on the plan decide?

All Comment

Notes & sketches

Race in pole position

Exeter Labour looks set to pick Steve Race as the party’s parliamentary candidate at the next general election after retiring incumbent Ben Bradshaw anointed his former assistant as his heir apparent in what has been a fairly safe Labour seat since the 1997 landslide...

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

Bundling boards

The third in a series of city council scrutiny meetings intended to satisfy councillors that Exeter Development Fund is a way to put Exeter on the map rather than the council’s financial viability at risk took place last week...

DEMOCRACY & GOVERNANCE

Irrationale by design?

The second of two RAMM-hosted Liveable Exeter promotional events, focussed on Exeter’s future as a “garden city”, took place last night with the city council’s Director of City Development, Ian Collinson topping the bill...

PLANNING & PLACE

All Notes & sketches

The Exeter Digest

Exeter Digest #15: Bus back better? - Net zero redundancy - Development fund under fire

Our bumper holiday newsletter also covers a St. James' HMO appeal, planning enforcement changes, scope 3 emissions failure, cycling and walking strategy delays and property development promotion as community planning participation.

Exeter Digest #14: Exeter beset - Alphington impacts - Magdalen Road - Community involvement?

Our essential newsletter also covers continuing Exeter Development Fund scrutiny, missing meetings minutes from Exeter City Futures and Devon Climate Emergency Response Group, Liveable Exeter confusion and local design code reforms.

Exeter Digest #13: Flowerpot Playing Fields under threat - Scrutiny circumvention continues - Kidical Mass rides into town

Our thirteenth newsletter also covers city council spending on Instagram influencers, museum-fronted property development promotion, reports on local democracy and the role of councils in climate action and a government inquiry into the sustainability of local journalism.

All Exeter Digest

On the agenda

New Exeter Local Plan draft consultation

A consultation on the draft version of the new Exeter Local Plan, which will guide development in the city until 2040, is taking place this autumn.

All topics

ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY AFFORDABILITY AFFORDABILITY AFFORDABILITY AIR QUALITY AIR QUALITY AIR QUALITY ALPHINGTON & COWICK ALPHINGTON & COWICK ALPHINGTON & COWICK ALPHINGTON ALPHINGTON ALPHINGTON BONHAY MEADOWS BONHAY MEADOWS BONHAY MEADOWS CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE CLIFTON HILL SPORTS CENTRE 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 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 & CRIME COMMISSIONER DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER DEVON & CORNWALL POLICE & CRIME COMMISSIONER 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 DURYARD & ST. JAMES DURYARD & ST. JAMES DURYARD & ST. JAMES EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNCIL EXETER AIRPORT EXETER AIRPORT EXETER AIRPORT EXETER CANAL AND QUAY TRUST EXETER CANAL AND QUAY TRUST EXETER CANAL AND QUAY TRUST 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 CIVIC SOCIETY EXETER CIVIC SOCIETY EXETER CIVIC SOCIETY EXETER COLLEGE EXETER COLLEGE EXETER COLLEGE EXETER CULTURE EXETER CULTURE EXETER CULTURE EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER DEVELOPMENT FUND EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION EXETER EXTINCTION REBELLION 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 EXWICK EXWICK EXWICK 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 HEAVITREE & WHIPTON BARTON HEAVITREE & WHIPTON BARTON HEAVITREE & WHIPTON BARTON HEAVITREE HEAVITREE HEAVITREE HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION HOUSES IN MULTIPLE OCCUPATION HOUSING HOUSING HOUSING LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+ LGBTQIA+ 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 MINCINGLAKE & WHIPTON MINCINGLAKE & WHIPTON MINCINGLAKE & WHIPTON NET ZERO EXETER NET ZERO EXETER NET ZERO EXETER NEWTOWN & ST. LEONARD'S NEWTOWN & ST. LEONARD'S NEWTOWN & ST. LEONARD'S 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 PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA PENNSYLVANIA PINHOE PINHOE PINHOE PLANNING POLICY PLANNING POLICY PLANNING POLICY PRINCESSHAY PRINCESSHAY PRINCESSHAY PRIORY PRIORY PRIORY PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC CONSULTATION PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC REALM PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PUBLIC TRANSPORT PURPOSE BUILT STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PURPOSE BUILT STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PURPOSE BUILT STUDENT ACCOMMODATION RAMM RAMM RAMM REFUSE & RECYCLING REFUSE & RECYCLING REFUSE & RECYCLING RETROFIT RETROFIT RETROFIT RIVERSIDE VALLEY PARK RIVERSIDE VALLEY PARK RIVERSIDE VALLEY PARK ROYAL DEVON & EXETER NHS TRUST ROYAL DEVON & EXETER NHS TRUST ROYAL DEVON & EXETER 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. DAVID'S & HAVEN BANKS ST. DAVID'S & HAVEN BANKS ST. DAVID'S & HAVEN BANKS ST. DAVID'S ST. DAVID'S ST. DAVID'S ST. LOYE'S ST. LOYE'S ST. LOYE'S 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 ST. THOMAS ST. THOMAS ST. THOMAS STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST STAGECOACH SOUTH WEST TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL TOPSHAM TOPSHAM TOPSHAM UNIVERSITY OF EXETER UNIVERSITY OF EXETER UNIVERSITY OF EXETER