Hundreds of homes to be built on car park site

Hundreds of apartments will be built on the site of a multi-storey car park.

Kent-based Eutopia Homes is set to build almost 300 co-living apartments on the Mary Arches Street car park site in Exeter, Devon, after plans were given the go ahead.

The project to demolish the six-deck car park can begin after Exeter City Council's planning committee voted by a majority to back the plans.

The proposal comprises a six-storey block A, which fronts on to Bartholomew Street and North Street and provides communal accommodation including lounges, gym and studio, co-working and laundry; while four-storey block B will have an entrance on Mary Arches Street.

Earlier this year, Exeter City Council's planning committee told developers to rethink initial plans.

Eutopia made major changes to one of the two blocks proposed, internal accommodation was re-organised and a link between the two blocks has been redesigned, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The height of the most contentious part of the building has been cut to four storeys and a new entrance has been included on the corner of Bartholomew Street and North Street.

The council voted in 2022 to demolish the car park, adding it was obsolete and costed too much to run.

The developers will pay £87,000 towards local GP services, £139,000 for travel improvements, £146,436 for "car club" vehicle provision and hundreds of pounds per bed space towards local parks and playing fields.

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