Devon County Council has confirmed it intends to dispose of a 1.5 acre plot in the grounds of County Hall despite the submission of 180 objections in two rounds of public consultation.
The sale was proposed by the county cabinet in October 2023 after buildings known as the Matford huts which occupied part of the plot were demolished, leaving their foundations intact.
The county council says that selling the site of the buildings alone would not yield the optimal financial return required by its best value duty and that the inclusion of 0.91 acres of public open space in the sale – which amounts to 7.4% of the green space at County Hall – provides curtilage that is necessary to the site’s redevelopment viability.
It also says that Exeter City Council, which has earmarked the site for residential housing in the new Exeter Local Plan, is responsible for many of the issues raised by objectors as local planning authority.
