Exeter City Council has accepted extensive historic fabric damage and foregone a £2.4 million affordable housing contribution to enable the redevelopment of the Royal Clarence Hotel site as luxury flats and commercial space.
After revisions to the scheme in response to extensive criticism from the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Historic England, Devon Buildings Group and Devon Archaeological Society of the approach taken by Nooko Developments Limited, the council accepted the conclusions of a developer-submitted viability assessment in approving the redevelopment plans and application for listed building consent.
As a result, just as happened with the building’s previous owner, the developers will not make any contributions to local affordable housing or healthcare provision unless a further viability assessment, to be performed after the building’s completion, concludes that they can afford to do so after making a profit of around £2.5 million.
