Co-living proposal reduced to avoid impact on locals

APROPOSAL for an Exeter coliving development has been reduced after concerns were raised about the impact the apartment blocks could have on neighbours.

In July 2023, Sussex-based developer Shopland Gray Developments Ltd applied for permission to demolish a workshop and two-storey house on Victoria Street and build 101 studio apartments.

The flats were to be distributed across three blocks, varying in size from three to five storeys.

Earlier this year, developers met with Exeter City Council planners, who said they were concerned about the scale of the scheme and that they were unlikely to support it. They said the tall blocks were out of character with surrounding properties, which mostly stand at two or three storeys.

Planning officers also said the positioning and height of some of the blocks could lead to loss of privacy to households in Propsect Park,

Victoria Street and Culverland Road. Other concerns included a lack of surveillance at the main entrance and the “bland” design.

In response, Shopland Gray has proposed a reduction in the number of flats to 89. Seven of the studios are to be larger, more accessible units and 20% are proposed as being “affordable”.

The northern block, which would overlook Prospect Park, has been reduced from four and five storeys to three, while the central block has been reduced from three and four storeys to two, in a bid to reduce its impact on properties in Victoria Street and Culverland Road.

Flats on the upper floors have been re-oriented, the windows have been redesigned and an internal corridor has been added on the southern side to prevent the studios from overlooking Victoria Street.

The plans have received backlash from locals, with 128 public objections, with one neutral comment and one supporting. Concerns include the height of the blocks and the number of flats within them.