In-depth insight about what's going on in Exeter that you won't find anywhere else
City council scrutiny board enabling illicit obstruction of democracy
Essential safeguard against misuse of power misdirected by Executive members and senior officers while backbench councillors persistently denied rights to examine high-risk schemes and citywide climate crisis response.
Revised proposals to sell council land for co-living and high-spec housing discount site viability issues
Council leader’s Clifton Hill and Mary Arches car park sale amendments agreed by Executive without discussing financial consequences, including multi-million pound value losses compelling sale of other assets to cover Exeter City Living debts.
Exeter City Living to be all-but wound up after £4.5 million losses with £10 million owed to council
Council expects resulting resale value of surrendered Clifton Hill development site not to cover company’s debts, with remaining losses to be written off, as Liveable Exeter vision thrown into doubt and councillors evade responsibility for failure.
County council determined to axe homelessness prevention funding despite zero support for cuts
Fate of £1.5 million contract sealed before consultation began with district councils and services providers kept in dark and huge prospective financial and human costs, dwarfing claimed savings, ignored.
Council student accommodation policy proposals overlook 50-80% of student-occupied housing stock
Article 4 direction & HMO SPD consultation omits key information, confuses licensing and planning matters, misrepresents NPPF requirements and proposes barely discernible changes in place of needed new Exeter Local Plan policies.
Council development levy changes are insufficiently evidenced and don’t meet city infrastructure needs
Exeter City Council and Liveable Exeter partners impose faulty typology driven by policy objectives while ignoring new local plan, evidence base and statutory funding statement and excluding residential and retail charges from review.