The office of the Devon & Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner and offshore-registered PBSA Heavitree Road S.A.R.L. have submitted an appeal against Exeter City Council’s decision to refuse planning permission for a 964-bed student and co-living development on the site of the former police station and magistrates court in Heavitree Road.
The application for outline planning permission (with all matters considered in detail except landscaping) was eventually refused in February this year after eight design iterations, six city council meetings and four rounds of public consultation had considered it over the course of nearly three years.
Illustrative elevation facing St Luke’s campus. Image: Design & access statement.
The development had been enthusiastically recommended by city council development director Ian Collinson who said its extreme residential densities would align with the council’s Liveable Exeter vision.
However local councillors and residents objected to the scheme for a wide range of reasons. These included the adverse impact of its scale, mass and siting, the insufficient residential amenity space it provided, the harm it would do to the surrounding area and the loss of 26 trees on the site.
The appeal will be heard by a planning inspector in due course. Interested party comments are due by 13 October and evidence submissions by 14 November, after which an inquiry will be held.
