Plans submitted to demolish Exeter landmark bridge

The bridge has been part of the area since the 1970s

A planning application has been submitted to demolish a landmark footbridge in Exeter to enable a proposed housing development.

The footbridge which spans North Road and links the Mary Arches multi-storey car park to the Guildhall shopping centre has been a feature of Exeter since 1972.

Kent-based Eutopia Homes said its plans would replace the "ugly concrete multi-storey" with a housing development of 300 compact homes.

The property developers said the bridge detracts from the local townscape and the setting of nearby listed buildings, according to Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The entire site is owned and operated by Exeter City Council which decided in 2022 it was obsolete as a car park and the council would need to spend almost £4million to refurbish it.

When Eutopia Homes first submitted its plans earlier in 2025, director Lorna Henderson said: "Our aim is to create a vibrant, sustainable urban community.

"This will be a purpose-built co-living development which will allow for optimal design and space management."

The planning application does not specify how the bridge will be demolished or how long it will take to do it.

Eutopia Homes said: "The removal of the footbridge will enhance the local townscape and in doing so better reveal the significance of the central conservation area and enhance the setting of listed buildings along North Street.

"Significantly, its removal will facilitate the development of Mary Arches car parks redevelopment site," it said.