Exeter Central Station has been given grade II listed status following the application made by Devon Buildings Group earlier this year. The Group wishes to thank everyone who wrote to Historic England in support of their application.
+++ 17 October Sidwell Street and St. James booklet launch & West Gate workshop ++
Whilst Exeter Civic Society has not been involved in the development of the scheme to replace the A379 bridges across the canal, we have received feedback from the Friends of Exeter Ship Canal and Heritage Harbour (FESCHH) about what they believed was good progress for plans to create a greater air draft under replacement bridges. The recent consultation now says that is not being considered which is disappointing.
We have sent a letter of concern to the County Council’s Transport Planning team which you can find in the side column, including an objection to using this government funding to undertake off-site cycling improvements. In our opinion, the County Council’s justifications for the choice of options fall well short.
On 13 Aug we also published a press release to the local media.
Exeter Civic Society responded to both ECC Strategy consultations online and with a written letter, as the online form did not allow to comment on certain sections of both documents. The Cultural Strategy and the City Centre Strategy have been taken long to be made public, so we found the results a bit underwhelming. We think that both important strategies need improvement and hope that the council will make changes that reflect the responses they receive.
Rose Swift offered to lead a walk through Upper Pennsylvania. It will start on Stoke Valley Road, walk behind this road along a path to admire the surrounding countryside, follow the Northbrook at the bottom, enter the Mincinglake Valley Park to view the recent wildfire devastation and end on the local community cafe on Collins Road. The K bus service can bring you to the starting point and back on your return to the city. There is also free parking along Stoke Valley Road.
Please note that this replaces our usual monthly meeting at the Mint Methodist church. It is being held in Positive Light Projects, the spacious Exeter Phoenix gallery opposite John Lewis, as this is at the heart of the area covered by the booklet, a revision to the previous Discovering Exeter no. 5.
Do you wonder how our city centre around the former bus station will look like in a few years' time? Do you have views, want to discuss them and feed them into a public debate about the redevelopment of this central area in the city?
The Civic Society's wants to start a conversation about how to develop what the emerging Exeter Plan calls 'East Gate', seen as a new vibrant quarter of the city. The area extends from Sidwell Street to Denmark Road and Cheeke Street to Dixs Field, with several sites allocated for changes - see the plan in the text below. We want to collect and discuss views from local businesses and residents, to councillors, organisations and users of the area. It there is appetite from locals and the public to engage, this event will be the start of a joint journey to promote a grassroots' vision alongside the City Council's strategy expected in October 2026. So come and join the project on 17 October!
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Join our Walk group on WhatsApp and join us for our regular Exeter walks.
Whether you’re a newcomer to Exeter or have lived here since before the War we’re sure you’ll love this great little city. It has a vibrant charm and a fascinating mix of buildings, and people! From the Roman Wall and Norman Castle to the lively city centre venues, shops and restaurants there is something for everyone. But a city is always changing, and those changes can be for the better or for the worse.
Exeter Civic Society was set up to care for Exeter and make sure that further redevelopments are of the highest possible standard for our city and for our quality of life. If you want to keep track of changes to the city, or find out more about its history you have come to the right place. Not only do we monitor new developments but we have talks about Exeter’s history and visits to local places, some of which you may not even know exist.
Exeter Civic Society publishes 'Prospectus'
Our 28pp “Prospectus for the Redevelopment of the Wider Water Lane Area” was published on 31 Oct 2022. For details please visit the ‘Current Concerns’ section of our website, then ‘Wider Water Lane Area Redevelopment’.