Stories about Property Development

26-bed Howell Road garage site student accommodation block allowed at appeal
St James Neighbourhood Plan community balance aims discounted and council policy and evidence deemed insufficient in inspector’s decision to overturn planning committee refusal.

Developers claim council planning committee refusal was “if not malevolent, certainly misguided”
Appeal against decision to deny fifth additional storey in build-to-rent scheme above Crankhouse Coffee accuses councillors of seeking to “appease the weight of objectors’ orchestrated opinion” against amendments to eleven year-old consent.

Liveable Exeter Placemaking Charter consultation skewed towards only one of five “core tools”
Private developers’ forum and other major components of new charter not mentioned in council communications, but transparency and new “culture of openness” to “help build trust in the planning system” emphasised throughout.

Exeter City Living to be all-but wound up after £4.5 million losses with £10 million owed to council
Council expects resulting resale value of surrendered Clifton Hill development site not to cover company’s debts, with remaining losses to be written off, as Liveable Exeter vision thrown into doubt and councillors evade responsibility for failure.

St Thomas library forced to relocate when lease expires in November
Landlord Exeter Estates Holdings, controlled by Exeter Chiefs CEO and chairman Tony Rowe, sought substantial rent increase after withdrawing planning application to demolish library building and replace it with block of thirteen flats.