The University of Exeter is seeking views on the redevelopment of St Luke’s campus, an eleven acre teaching and research site between Heavitree Road and Magdalen Road that was founded in 1854 as a teacher training college.
The campus currently houses the university’s medical school, with activities across nursing, biomedicine and sports and health sciences, as well as its School of Education.
The university says redevelopment is intended to support the expansion of health-related activity on the site, turning it into a “health and wellbeing” campus, but does not make clear whether the School of Education will remain there or be moved elsewhere.
The campus, which includes a publicly-accessible gym and swimming pool, is allocated as one of four employment sites in the new Exeter Local Plan.
The university has said this does not limit campus uses, apparently suggesting that purpose built student accommodation will be included in the redevelopment.
St Luke’s campus aerial photograph and site map. Source: University of Exeter.
Limited information has been provided in support of the consultation, which the university says is intended to inform an emerging masterplan framework proposal for the site.
It has appointed consultants to develop the framework, which it intends to publish early next year for further consultation.
It will then submit it to the city council next spring for what it describes as “endorsement”.
It says it intends the framework to become a material consideration in prospective planning applications before being adopted as a new Supplementary Planning Document following the adoption of the new Exeter Local Plan.
St Luke’s July 2013 masterplan options appraisal proposals. Source: University of Exeter.
Just over ten years ago the university conducted a St Luke’s campus masterplan options appraisal exercise which proposed the demolition and replacement of more than half the buildings on the site to create nearly 17,000 square metres of new floorspace.
Whether the university now intends a similarly dramatic transformation of the site will become clearer next year.
The St Luke’s campus redevelopment consultation is open until Thursday 14 December.
Comments can be submitted using an online feedback form.
Any queries can be directed to the university’s campus development team at campusdevelopment@exeter.ac.uk.
