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.
We are editorially and financially independent, which means we produce and distribute our content without political or commercial bias.
We observe industry best-practice principles, are fully regulated, and aim to inform and empower our readers, strengthening civil society and helping people participate more effectively in local democracy.
Peter Cleasby
Peter Cleasby is contributing editor of Exeter Observer and a director of its publisher Greater Exeter CIC.
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.
Stories written by
Peter Cleasby
Feature / Democracy & governance
Exeter & East Devon council accounts delayed by Grant Thornton's "lack of staff resources"
Annual accounts for local government, including Exeter City Council, have been delayed by private sector firms failing to complete their work on time after cost-cutting government auditing reforms.
Feature / Transport & mobility
An integrated public transport service for Devon remains a distant aspiration
A change to Exeter's G bus service operator has revealed the limits of Devon County Council's approach to transport system integration.
News / Economy & enterprise
Will a new South West industrial strategy deliver what it promises?
Our business-led Local Enterprise Partnership appears committed to a new approach to driving growth which its CEO describes as "game-changing".
News / Democracy & governance
Exeter City Council cuts scrutiny of executive decision-making
Constitutional changes proposed by Exeter City Council will make it more difficult to hold the ruling political group to account.
Comment / Democracy & governance
Exeter protest misses its mark by mixing its messages
One of Exeter's biggest ever street demonstrations combined anti-Brexit and pro-democracy concerns to produce a confused protest against government policy.
Briefing / 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.
Briefing / Democracy & governance
Caught short - balancing the books in a hurry
Exeter City Council has unapologetically confirmed its decision to close 13 public toilets as a money-saving measure with full knowledge of its expected effect on residents and visitors. Can we expect other spending cuts to be handled the same way?
Briefing / Planning & place
Clifton Hill sports centre – the background
Storm Emma met the Beast from the East and dumped a huge amount of snow on the roof of Exeter's Clifton Hill sports centre, setting off a chain reaction which has ignited two campaigns and put Exeter City Council's approaches to competence and openness into sharp focus.
Analysis / Democracy & governance
What does your council know that you don't know you don't know?
Extracting information from councils is hard work but increasingly necessary for local democracy.
Briefing / Planning & place
Is the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan GESPing for air?
The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan has been a long time in gestation. When it finally arrives, will it deliver?
Stories with photography by
Peter Cleasby
Feature / Transport & mobility
An integrated public transport service for Devon remains a distant aspiration
A change to Exeter's G bus service operator has revealed the limits of Devon County Council's approach to transport system integration.
News / Democracy & governance
Exeter City Council cuts scrutiny of executive decision-making
Constitutional changes proposed by Exeter City Council will make it more difficult to hold the ruling political group to account.
Comment / Democracy & governance
Exeter protest misses its mark by mixing its messages
One of Exeter's biggest ever street demonstrations combined anti-Brexit and pro-democracy concerns to produce a confused protest against government policy.
Briefing / 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.
Briefing / Democracy & governance
Caught short - balancing the books in a hurry
Exeter City Council has unapologetically confirmed its decision to close 13 public toilets as a money-saving measure with full knowledge of its expected effect on residents and visitors. Can we expect other spending cuts to be handled the same way?
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.
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.
Julian Bond
Julian Bond has been an activist in the Labour movement since his early twenties including time in trades unions as a shop steward.
Having completed an MA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, University of London, he worked as an artist making site-specific installations.
After bringing up two inspiring children as a single parent Julian returned to work as a carpenter and plumber.
Since 2016 he has tried to give as much time as possible to voluntary work projects with Help Refugees and L’Auberge des Migrants in France and Greece.
Following the example of his son, who campaigns for climate justice with UK Student Climate Network in London, Julian volunteers with the Greenpeace Exeter local group and with Greenpeace nationally.
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 director of its publisher Greater Exeter CIC.
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.
Martin Redfern
Martin Redfern is managing editor of Exeter Observer and a director of its publisher Greater Exeter CIC.
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.
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.
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 a seventeen-year-old climate activist, writer and student at Exeter College.
She works with the UK Student Climate Network to mobilise the Youth Strike 4 Climate movement and has recently been published in The Guardian, The Ecologist, The Big Issue and Open Democracy.
She also enjoys climbing on Dartmoor and writing poetry.
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.
Exeter Observer is published by Greater Exeter CIC, a non-profit community interest company limited by guarantee, registration number 10711812.
Feature / Democracy & governance
Exeter & East Devon council accounts delayed by Grant Thornton's "lack of staff resources"
Annual accounts for local government, including Exeter City Council, have been delayed by private sector firms failing to complete their work on time after cost-cutting government auditing reforms.
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.
Feature / 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.