So far developers have very much shaped the redevelopment of this area, including the area extending to Summerland Street, alongside the City Council’s major investments in Sidwell Point Centre and the new bus station. The few remaining sites and the streets connecting them should – in our opinion – be developed with the input of local people, businesses and users of the area, a grassroots’ bottom-up approach rather than top down decision making.
Imminent plans for the area.
In October Exeter City Council is expected to publish their plans for the former bus station site and for the redevelopment of the civic centre buildings into housing.
There is planning permission to replace Clarendon House with a 10 storey student accommodation block. This will include a new pedestrian route from Russell Street and relocating the pedestrian crossing closer to the roundabout.
The former swimming pool site will be developed with more older person’s housing by the Guinness Trust as an extension of Eaton House.
The new stretch of a pedestrian and cycle route from Clifton Road to Denmark Road has enhanced the E3 cycle route.
What we know about the area.
The City Council wishes to redevelop the bus station site but what is needed to improve facilities for people?
The buildings on Paris Street and Sidwell Street were built in the 1950/60s and are in need of investment, but they provide smaller shop units that attract a diverse range of businesses. When Historic England’s prestigious ‘Historic Places Panel’ were invited to visit the city by the City Council in Sep 2024, they thought Sidwell Street was ‘a classic example of a successful, good-quality post-war rebuilding with an attractive tree-lined boulevard’, they saw it as a vibrant street and were ‘concerned that the redevelopment of Sidwell Street could harm the distinct character and fragile economy of this area’.
Bus stops and facilities on the west side of Sidwell Street are currently chaotic and need improvement.
Paris Street looks barren its its southern section and is dominated by traffic heading into the car-parks and through the city. Can the street be made more pedestrian friendly?
Access to and from the three Princesshay car parks is often troublesome at busy times.
The junction at Western Way and Paris Street roundabout results in long tailbacks to the south adding to city centre congestion. Is the roundabout still fit for purpose?
Is the new coach station facility adequate?
We list some starting ideas for the workshop here, but it will be open to all kind of new ideas.
The shop units in Paris Street and on the southern side of Sidwell Street look as is they are filling up with independent traders, a development we were told is the primary focus of the new land owner of most of these units, the Frasers Group. We think this is an exciting opportunity to further diversify the retail and hospitality mix in the city centre, as these businesses attract a different kind of customer base. Is this what the local community wants? And if so, what can be done to support this vision instead of knocking it all down and start with a potentially much taller and more massive development?
Further east in Sidwell Street, buildings have two floors of residential living on top of the shop units. Can something like this be achieved here? The buildings have lacked investment for decades and the upper floors would need renovation and potential change of use. But this could secure much needed affordable and social rent residential homes in this central location of the city centre. The new national planning policy guidelines favour what has successfully been established in Princesshay: residential homes above shops in the city centre. Is it time to look into something similar for western end of Sidwell Street and Paris Street?
The remainder of the former bus station was earmarked for an interim use as a carpark. As even this proved too costly, can we now think ‘bold’ again for this area? Next to the new bus station and the leisure centre, it might be an idea to create a ‘plaza’, an open space with a big fountain for people to meet, markets to be held, events to take place – very much in the centre of Exeter. People say they miss such a place to hang out, enjoy a market atmosphere with good public transport connections to bring in the people from further afield, and to attract outdoor events.
The Civic Centre buildings will see Exeter City Council moving out. What to do next with this site? Residential living for crucial service workers is missing in the city centre. Could this be a site to add these to the mix of the new occupants of what is thought to be a vibrant new quarter?
Is the Paris Street roundabout fit for purpose? Can the roads around the site be more pedestrian focused? How can pedestrian links across Western Way be improved?
How can a sense of arrival be created at the bus station?
Frasers Group Paris Street and Sidwell Street landowner after Princesshay sale. Source: Exeter City Council.
Replacement Citypoint redevelopment scheme drawing from 2018. Source: Exeter City Council.