Council’s affordable housing priorities shift

Exeter City Council is pressing ahead with plans to deliver greener, more energy-efficient social housing - both through new builds and major retrofits - amid concerns over the loss of affordable housing in a key city centre development.

During a visit to Brook House, a newly completed development of 21 Passivhaus flats off Hamlin Gardens, Cllr Marina Asvachin, Exeter’s Lead Councillor for Housing, highlighted the importance of delivering sustainable homes.

“These new homes are very important for Exeter because we know housing is in short supply and there is a huge need for good quality social housing,” she said.

“They are super energy efficient which helps tenants save on energy costs and that in turn helps the city to cut its carbon footprint, so I am very proud of our council house building programme.”

Built to certified Passivhaus standards, the flats feature high levels of insulation and airtightness, making them climate-resilient while helping tenants reduce their energy bills.

Alongside new builds, Exeter City Council is retrofitting its existing housing stock to improve energy efficiency. By March, 920 homes will have been upgraded, helping tenants cut fuel consumption by 40-50%.

The work includes:

- Loft and cavity wall insulation

- New windows and doors

- Heating control and system upgrades

- Roof and structural repairs

- Solar panel installations

Cllr Asvachin said:“The retrofit programme is something I am also very proud of. It is making a real difference to tenants, making homes more comfortable and less expensive to run and is also important to the Council’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions.”

The Council is bidding for £4.34m in funding, which, if secured, will support 140 retrofit completions per year for the next three years.

Despite the Council’s efforts to expand social housing, Exeter has suffered a setback in its affordable housing provision after developers scrapped plans for 20% affordable homes in a major city centre development.

The Harlequins shopping centre redevelopment, which received planning permission in 2022 for 383 studios and flats, was originally set to include homes for key workers.

However, last month, councillors voted to accept a deal in which developer Curlew Alternatives Property will pay the Council at least £2m instead.

A report to the planning committee said the developer had argued the scheme was no longer financially viable, citing rising construction costs, falling property values, and higher interest rates.

Diana Moore, leader of the Green Party on Exeter City Council, called the deal a “massive failure.”

“Affordable housing was a crucial part of the original approval,” she said. “This change adds to the systemic housing failure in Exeter, where options are dwindling and expensive, particularly for single people.”

Under the new agreement, the developer must pay the Council £1m when demolition starts in summer 2025, followed by another £1m when groundworks begin. Further payments of up to £5.5m will depend on how profitable the development becomes.

The Council defended the move, saying the money would still support affordable housing elsewhere in the city, such as greener social housing, and help the project remain viable.

However, opposition councillors remain concerned that the development will ultimately benefit student accommodation rather than local residents.

With a growing housing crisis and limited affordable options, Exeter’s green housing push is a step forward, but the loss of city centre affordable units raises fresh concerns. The Council’s focus remains on new Passivhaus homes and retrofits, but campaigners argue that more needs to be done to ensure affordable homes are built where they are most needed.