Probable review for £300m regeneration plans

The council had hoped the derelict bus station would be demolished in 2023

A £300m regeneration project for Exeter city centre is “probably under serious review”, the city council’s new chief executive has revealed.

The scheme for the Sidwell Street and Paris Street area around the derelict bus station included new homes, two new hotels, and the relocation of the council headquarters into a new public sector hub.

There were also plans for a new office quarter, food, drink and retail outlets, and a new square and civic space.

Bindu Arjoon, the council’s chief executive, also revealed the old bus station would not be knocked down in 2023 as the council had hoped.

The scheme has been described as an “ambitious 20-year programme that will see 12,000 new homes built across the city.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Ms Arjoon said the existing plans were now in doubt.

“Given where we are at the moment and some of the huge viability challenges, we are in the process of working to identify what might now come forward on that site,” she said.

“We know that our members are passionate about delivering housing for the city, but part of what we’re looking to see is are there other partners we can work with to bring something forward on that site.”

Ms Arjoon added: “Until we go back to councillors and officially ask them to look at different options, [the existing plans] still have some providence within the council.”

Council officers are “looking to bring something back to members certainly by the end of this calendar year,” she said.

A new procurement process has opened to find a company who can demolish the former bus station.

The council had hoped it would be knocked down by the end of 2023, but it “couldn’t find anyone who was able to do it within the price,” Ms Arjoon said.