Unlocking the Potential of Exeter's Heritage
A team of national experts on regeneration and heritage have published a new report identifying opportunities to help harness Exeter's remarkable history and architecture to help fuel its regeneration.
In September 2024, Exeter City Council invited the Historic Places Panel for a visit so they could offer advice on how the city's historic character can inspire its planned growth and development over the next 20 years.
Based on their visit, the Historic Places Panel members made a series of recommendations to harness the power of Exeter's rich heritage.
The Panel's recommendations include:
- Ensure that the skills, capacity, and baseline studies are in place to help realise the city council's Exeter Vision 2040, including:
- A city-wide place-making strategy that considers the opportunities of its brownfield sites
- A study to better understand Exeter's future transport needs and actively help to reduce car parking in the city centre
- An updated green infrastructure study to support the delivery of the city's carbon-neutral targets
- Make bold adjustments to the inner bypass to reconnect the historic link between the walled city and the River Exe
- Ensure local people are well connected to the city's ambitions and plans for development. This could include an urban room – a drop-in space where people can add their thoughts on regeneration and investment
- Improve the city's connection to wider audiences. Exeter is a magnet for employment across a wide area and a busy college and university city with a diverse student population. It also has a steady flow of visitors from home and abroad. Ambitious plans to improve these connections would enhance Exeter's offer
Download the Historic Places Panel’s Report here.
We were privileged to be given access by Exeter City Council and a wide range of stakeholders to their plans and aspirations for its future. The City is well known for its long history, outstanding heritage, and we applaud ambitions to build on this for a thriving, sustainable centre, compact and yet well connected to its hinterland. We offered some recommendations we felt would help deliver on the promise and we look forward to returning in due course to hear what progress is being made.
This report sets out thoughtful recommendations that support our ambition to grow sustainably while protecting and enhancing our city’s rich cultural and historic assets. As Exeter continues to evolve, we are committed to ensuring development is delivered sustainably, inclusively, and healthily, while safeguarding our green spaces and historic fabric for future generations.
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