ECS Responds to Mary Arches Redevelopment Plans

ECS engaged with the developer for Mary Arches car park. This site is not for student homes, but the developer considers co-living for the site. We think small flats would be much better to provide places for families in the city centre. We welcome the redevelopment of this car park site with a high quality design but we are not sure that the design presented has achieved that at this stage.

We would like to see mixed use commercial/housing on the site that reflects the council’s Local Housing Needs Assessment, as set out in the emerging Exeter Plan at Policy H15. Whilst the presentation stated that there is a need for co-living nationally, and whilst we do not deny that this new style of living has a place in Exeter, the city has seen many planning applications approved for co-living developments in recent years.

ECS also thinks that the whole area needs to improve while being redeveloped, as it is one of the poorest looking ones in the city centre.

For our full response please read here: https://exetercivicsociety.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/ECS-response-to-Mary-Arches-Street-Redevelopment-May25.pdf 

You might also want to feedback directly to the developer via this link: https://maryarches.info/feedback-form/