Exeter Observer is owned and managed, researched and written, designed and developed, produced and promoted by people who share a mission to deliver in-depth articles and investigative journalism rooted in community interest with real relevance and impact.
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Martin Redfern
Martin Redfern is editor of Exeter Observer and a member and director of its publisher Exeter Observer Ltd.
He has 25 years’ experience working with public and private sector organisations in multi-stakeholder contexts to achieve social change goals.
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.
Stories with contributions by
Martin Redfern
Analysis ⁄ Planning & place
First Liveable Exeter homes are substandard "warehousing for people" which is student accommodation "in all but name"
Harlequins shopping centre redevelopment approved by Exeter City Council includes 251 co-living units in seven storey tower block despite widespread opposition from conservation charities and community campaigners who have since appealed to the Secretary of State to call in the decision.
News ⁄ Transport & mobility
Council abandons temporary COVID-19 cycling and walking safety plans in Exeter city centre
Devon County Council cites "pushback" from traders as schemes on North Street, South Street, Fore Street and Cowick Street are scrapped. Meanwhile temporary changes in Topsham are dropped after "snap poll".
Analysis ⁄ Climate & environment
Is the "Net Zero" Exeter plan fit for purpose? Part I: Exeter's carbon footprint
Exeter City Futures' carbon reduction plan ignores over a million tonnes of carbon emissions and massively underestimates the challenges facing the city. First in a series examining its flaws by Fridays For Future youth climate activists.
Analysis ⁄ Community & society
Exeter rough sleepers in COVID-19 emergency accommodation face uncertain future
Exeter City Council has yet to confirm whether it will use any of the £2.15m Rough Sleeping Initiative funding it has received since 2018 to keep housing rough sleepers when government emergency accommodation funding runs out.
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.
Analysis ⁄ Transport & mobility
Coronavirus exposes council failure to deliver Exeter transport plans
Devon County Council's failure to deliver overdue Exeter transport strategy and cycling and walking plan has led to an inadequate response to government demands for emergency coronavirus road layout changes.
News ⁄ Transport & mobility
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.
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".
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.
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.
News ⁄ Economy & enterprise
Half of COVID-19 support grants unclaimed by Exeter businesses
Exeter City Council in bottom third of local authorities as only 45% of eligible local businesses claim government coronavirus support money.
Analysis ⁄ Democracy & governance
Conservative vote share varies across Devon but still blocks an Independent MP in East Devon
Labour loses vote share in every constituency, but retains Exeter and Plymouth Sutton & Devonport to leave the county position unchanged from 2017.
News ⁄ Democracy & governance
Conservatives hold Topsham in Exeter city council by-election
A by-election held on general election day produced an unusually high turnout but a lower Conservative vote share than at the May local elections.
Analysis ⁄ Democracy & governance
East Devon Independent Claire Wright set to unite Remain voters in close historic two-way contest
Claire Wright is poised to make history by beating the Tories in East Devon next week. If she does it will be without thanks to the LibDems and Greens, who insisted on standing candidates against her despite the preferences of local party members and the Unite to Remain campaign.
News ⁄ Education & skills
University of Exeter staff strike over pay, pensions and working conditions
The Exeter branch of the University & College Union (UCU) is taking part in a national eight day strike for fair pay and pensions, including equal pay for female and BAME staff, and against casualisation and increasing workloads.
Analysis ⁄ Climate & environment
Exeter youth climate strikers launch Green New Deal for Devon
Fridays For Future Exeter have published a detailed vision of a more equitable future that calls on elected representatives across the county to recognise the climate crisis as a symptom of a dysfunctional political economy.
News ⁄ Climate & environment
Thousands march in Exeter for global climate strike as millions mobilise worldwide
Fridays for Future Exeter led 3500 people on a climate crisis demonstration through the city backed by dozens of organisations on the eve of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York.
News ⁄ Education & skills
Education union challenges university to address widespread casualisation of teaching staff
Exeter University & College Union (UCU) launched an anti-casualisation campaign on Friday as a prelude to negotiation with the University of Exeter over academic staff contracts.
News ⁄ Climate & environment
Mock funeral march brings Exeter city centre to a sombre standstill
Extinction Rebellion campaigners brought the gravity of the ecological emergency home to Exeter on Saturday in a funereal procession commemorating wildlife loss caused by climate change.
Comment ⁄ Democracy & governance
Exeter could do better - was there no alternative to closing so many public toilets?
Exeter City Council did not need to close thirteen public toilets to balance the books. The money to keep them open was available in reserves, but no mention of this option was made during public decision-making by councillors or officers.
Analysis ⁄ Transport & mobility
We already know what to do about the climate crisis. We must get on with doing it as fast as we can.
Exeter and Devon council leaders must begin rapid regional decarbonisation now. The quickest, cheapest way to cut emissions in Exeter is to deter combustion engines from entering the city. Clean air legislation offers a basis for action.
Comment ⁄ Climate & environment
Exeter Youth Strike 4 Climate - the floodgates are open
Exeter is one of the smallest cities in Britain, yet it has produced some of the country's biggest youth strikes. Climate activist Sophie Sleeman recounts the story so far and explains what it means to the young people who are creating a global wave of change.
Profile ⁄ Democracy & governance
Is EU membership essential to our ability to deal with the climate emergency?
Molly Scott Cato, Green Party MEP for the South West, visited Exeter during her re-election campaign to explain why the EU and its Green Group is leading the way on a wide range of progressive policies.
Analysis ⁄ Planning & place
Mount Radford Lawn development proposals conflict with St Leonards community vision
Exeter Deaf Academy hopes to sell a school playing field to developers who plan to build luxury homes. Local residents have other ideas about how best to use the land. A dispute is looming over an historic green space driven by prospective profit from planning gain.
Preview ⁄ Arts & culture
Rainbow Trail LGBTQIA+ exhibition queers RAMM for Exeter Pride 2019
A new collaboration between X-Plore Youth Devon, Exeter College LGBTQ+ society, Natalie McGrath of Dreadnought SW and Dr Jana Funke of the University of Exeter explores gender and sexual diversity across time, place and culture by reimagining objects from the RAMM collections.
News ⁄ Democracy & governance
Exeter Labour loses local elections in all three city centre wards
Voters in Exeter yesterday elected three new councillors to represent them in the key wards that cover the city centre, with all the city's ruling Exeter Labour group candidates missing out despite the party's confident campaign.
Profile ⁄ Democracy & governance
Local resident stands as independent candidate in Exeter elections
Jemima Moore is a 36 year-old part-time primary school teacher and mother of two young children with little political experience. So why has she decided to stand for election to Exeter City Council on 2 May?
News ⁄ Climate & environment
Exeter Extinction Rebellion stages climate emergency protest
Today around 70 people joined the Exeter branch of Extinction Rebellion on the city's streets to demand urgent action to minimise the risk of catastrophic impacts from climate change.
Review ⁄ Arts & culture
Out of sight, out of mind
A performance of From The Light of The Fire, Our Dancing Shadows in Exeter for Kaleider Mikrofest appears to favour illusion over truth in a confused rendering of Plato's cave allegory that leaves both performers and audience in the dark.
Comment ⁄ Planning & place
Exeter St James regeneration
How can the supply of low-cost, incrementally investable city centre accommodation be stimulated to attract and retain creative, technically-skilled young entrepreneurial talent?
Comment ⁄ Transport & mobility
Streets are for people, not cars
Cars adversely affect economic output, air quality and wellbeing, take up valuable space when parked and discourage people from walking and cycling when driven. Reducing their use would enhance Exeter's retail and leisure offer, improve public health and attract needed workers to the city.
Galleries by Martin Redfern
Gallery ⁄ Climate & environment
Exeter climate strikers create human chain around County Hall
Fridays for Future Exeter led a march through the city to form a human chain around County Hall in protest at climate change inaction.
Gallery ⁄ Climate & environment
Exeter Extinction Rebellion Wave of Water march
Extinction Rebellion campaigners marched through Exeter city centre led by a samba band and dressed in blue to represent a wave of water, highlighting rising sea levels and the coming global water crisis.
Other contributors
Beth Pratt
Beth Pratt has a background in environmental science, geography and photography and hopes to study journalism at university at the end of the year.
She studied classical ballet at The Royal Ballet School for three years then continued to dance with Exeter Youth Contemporary Dance Company when she moved back to Devon.
Through her experience of the dance world Beth has become increasingly passionate about mental health and wellbeing in young people.
Bethany Collins
Bethany Collins is a politics student at the University of Exeter hoping to specialise in public policy.
She has lived in East Devon for most of her life, and has a keen interest in local government. She has been actively involved in campaigning with independent parliamentary candidate Claire Wright.
Since starting her degree she has engaged with the university LGBTQ+ society and has a strong passion for climate activism.
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.
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 is also Chair of Trustees for Exeter-based Intercom Trust, an advocacy charity supporting LGBT+ communities across the South West.
Daniel Clark
Daniel Clark is a Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter based in Exeter.
He covers Devon County Council and the county’s district councils and other public service organisations for the BBC Local News Partnerships, a public interest democracy reporting and journalism service in which Exeter Observer is a partner.
He is also a Soccer Sight commentator at Exeter City FC.
Eleanor Andrade May
Eleanor Andrade May is a seventeen year old climate activist with Fridays for Future Exeter.
When not striking, she attends sixth form at Ivybridge Community College.
Her interests include local government policy-making and sub-national Green New Deal development and delivery. She campaigns for UK-wide reform of the whole education sector to prepare students for the climate emergency and ecological crisis with Teach the Future.
She also enjoys photography, data science and Ten Tors.
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.
More information is available on Freya’s Met Office profile.
Jake Lloyd
Jake Lloyd is a communications consultant who works with charities and social enterprises that have a focus on community building.
He also produces and presents the How To Build Community podcast and radio show, and enjoys writing on the subjects of community, nature, faith and communications.
Jake’s background is in BBC News, where he spent almost ten years in both television and radio. For most of that time he was a Studio Director at BBC Radio 4, 5 Live and the World Service, covering major global news stories from the Arab Spring to the Olympics.
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 local, independent businesses since moving to Exeter five years ago, and has become increasingly involved in climate activism.
Laura is a keen cyclist, ornithologist and part-time DJ, playing at Exeter Pride the past two years.
Leigh Curtis
Leigh Curtis is arts & culture editor of Exeter Observer and a member and director of its publisher Exeter Observer Ltd.
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.
Leonore Zutter
Leonore Zutter is a student of English law and French law at the University of Exeter who spends more time rallying and protesting government inaction on climate change than in the library.
As a climate activist she is specifically involved in youth politics surrounding the climate crisis and climate litigation.
Leonore is originally from Switzerland and Germany and grew up in Australia. She hopes to one day help work on a stronger government plan to tackle the climate crisis.
Mike Myshko
Mike Myshko is a filmmaker, 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 Amazon, he is now looking to develop personal projects focussed on environmental issues, democracy and minority voices.
Mike also has a first class BSc in Broadcast Technology and is a member of BECTU.
More information is available on his website.
Moragh Mason
Moragh Mason is a researcher and contributing writer for Exeter Observer.
She has a background in the public sector in a variety of roles. The ones she enjoyed most involved investigation and report writing.
Since escaping the world of work she continues to put those skills to good use. She is concerned about the loss of green space in Exeter and is 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.
Peter Cleasby
Peter Cleasby is contributing editor of Exeter Observer and a member of its publisher Exeter Observer Ltd.
A former senior civil servant, specialising in policy development and managing public business, he subsequently became a freelance policy, management and governance consultant, and a trustee of several national and local charities.
Today, he has escaped from the boardroom and works - unpaid, of course - as a watch-keeper at Exmouth Coastwatch, research officer for Exeter Green Party, lay member of a research ethics committee at Exeter University, occasional blogger, campaigner for openness in public life, and doing any other interesting odd jobs that crop up from time to time.
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.
Sophie Sleeman
Sophie Sleeman is an eighteen year-old climate activist, writer and student.
She works with Fridays for Future Exeterto mobilise the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement and organise around a Green New Deal.
She has been published in The Guardian, The Ecologist, The Big Issue and Open Democracy.
She also enjoys climbing on Dartmoor, cycling and making documentaries.
Vanessa Miles
Vanessa Miles is a portrait, editorial and events photographer and has been a photography tutor at Exeter Phoenix since 2013.
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.
More information is available on her website.
Analysis ⁄ Planning & place
First Liveable Exeter homes are substandard "warehousing for people" which is student accommodation "in all but name"
Harlequins shopping centre redevelopment approved by Exeter City Council includes 251 co-living units in seven storey tower block despite widespread opposition from conservation charities and community campaigners who have since appealed to the Secretary of State to call in the decision.
News ⁄ Climate & environment
Hospital creates parking for 200 cars despite city climate crisis goals
Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital says new parking "temporary" but no end-date given in planning application and no hard evidence of need provided.
Analysis ⁄ Democracy & governance
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.
News ⁄ Transport & mobility
Council abandons temporary COVID-19 cycling and walking safety plans in Exeter city centre
Devon County Council cites "pushback" from traders as schemes on North Street, South Street, Fore Street and Cowick Street are scrapped. Meanwhile temporary changes in Topsham are dropped after "snap poll".
Analysis ⁄ Climate & environment
Is the "Net Zero" Exeter plan fit for purpose? Part I: Exeter's carbon footprint
Exeter City Futures' carbon reduction plan ignores over a million tonnes of carbon emissions and massively underestimates the challenges facing the city. First in a series examining its flaws by Fridays For Future youth climate activists.