Councillor objects to major 10-storey student block planned for Exeter gateway site

Plans for a major new student accommodation block in the heart of Exeter are due to be decided next week, despite strong opposition led by a local councillor who says the scheme is too big, badly designed and not needed.

Exeter City Council’s planning committee will consider an application from developer Zinc Real Estate to demolish Clarendon House on Western Way – currently home to the city’s JobCentre – and replace it with a purpose-built student development containing 297 bedspaces.

If approved, the project would see the existing five-storey 1960s office building replaced with a much larger structure rising to 10 storeys, alongside new commercial or community space at ground-floor level and extensive public realm improvements.

Although the application submitted by Zinc has been recommended for approval by planning officers, Barnfield councillor Lynn Wetenhall has lodged a detailed formal objection, arguing that the building would be out of scale with its surroundings.

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“The height of the development, together with the maximum height being right up to the pavement, as opposed to set back, is overbearing and out of keeping with the surrounding area,” she wrote.

“The impacts on views of the Cathedral are an acknowledged downside of this development.”

She also criticised the architectural approach being promoted by Zinc, saying: “There is no attempt at all to acknowledge the historic grain of the area, or the modern, attractive architecture of St Sidwell’s Point opposite.”

Quoting concerns from local heritage groups, she added that the design was a “could be anywhere” building that failed to reflect the character of its sensitive location, surrounded by conservation areas on four sides.

Cllr Wetenhall further argued that the information submitted with Zinc’s application was inadequate. 

“The poor quality of the information and visualisations submitted make this application extremely difficult to evaluate,” she said, calling for clearer drawings and images before councillors make a final decision.

She has also challenged claims that Exeter needs more purpose-built student accommodation.

“The latest information on the need for PBSA from the council planning team is that in 2025, 95 per cent of additional student numbers will be accommodated in PBSA,” she wrote.

“If, as everyone expects, overall numbers decline, and we have a number of PBSA developments that already have planning but not been built yet, it seems that we have enough PBSA for the city now.”

Public response to Zinc’s proposal has also been largely negative. Only 19 comments have been submitted on the council’s website, but 17 of them object to the scheme.

One resident described the plans as turning “the supposed gateway to the city” into “a claustrophobic and cold apology”, calling the building a “bland, overbearing monstrosity”.

Another objector said: “It is far too large and would tower over the neighbouring listed terraces on Heavitree Road,” while a third argued: “It is not required as current student accommodation is under-occupied. The city needs homes for people living in Exeter.”

Manchester-based Zinc Real Estate, the applicant behind the redevelopment, has previously delivered similar student housing schemes in London and the Netherlands.

Initial proposals unveiled by Zinc in December 2023 suggested a 16-storey tower containing 350 beds. Following consultation with Exeter City Council and local stakeholders, the plans were revised, cutting the height to a maximum of 10 storeys and reducing the number of rooms to 297.

The current scheme put forward by Zinc proposes a mix of student cluster flats and studio rooms, communal facilities, 210 square metres of commercial or community space, parking for 178 bicycles, and a new landscaped pedestrian route through the site known as “Garden Lane”.

The developer argues that the existing office block is no longer fit for purpose and that the site, close to the city centre, bus station and new St Sidwell’s Point leisure centre, is ideal for student housing.

In supporting documents, Zinc Real Estate says: “The area is seeing significant regeneration. The site is deemed ideal for purpose-built student accommodation and will provide high-quality accommodation that meets the needs of future residents.”

Planning officers have recommended that councillors approve the application, subject to a legal agreement securing community contributions. 

Their report concludes that the loss of existing office space is acceptable because similar floorspace will be re-provided within the scheme, and that purpose-built student accommodation is appropriate for this highly accessible city-centre site. 

While acknowledging that the building would have some negative visual impact – including partially affecting views of Exeter Cathedral – officers say this harm is “less than substantial” and outweighed by public benefits such as new housing supply, improved public realm, better transport arrangements and sustainability gains. 

Cllr Wetenhall has also raised concerns about transport and safety around the busy Western Way roundabout, arguing that Zinc’s application underestimates difficulties for pedestrians and cyclists.

“The Transport Assessment ignores the fact, well established through surveys, that few cyclists and many pedestrians are unwilling to use the roundabout, perceiving it as highly dangerous,” she said.

The application, reference 25/1082/FUL, can be viewed in full on the Exeter City Council planning portal under Clarendon House, Western Way, Barnfield, Exeter EX1 2DA.

Residents can view the application and supporting documents on the Exeter City Council planning portal and submit comments online. 

The proposal will be considered by the city council’s planning committee at its meeting in the coming days, when councillors will debate and vote on whether to approve the scheme.