We are grateful to the Safer Exeter Community Sparks Fund for the award of a grant which has enabled the Trust to source and purchase a replacement noticeboard for Queen’s Crescent Garden. The old one had seen better days and was no longer fit for purpose. Now we have a brand new splendid noticeboard, an imposing feature to the garden’s Longbrook Street entrance.
In this prominent position it is visible to all pasersby and will serve to inform the public of the Trust’s work in enhancing our local community. Another improvement to the garden environment, we hope the noticeboard will further help to engender a sense of pride in the public ownership of this green haven at the heart of our city.
At its meeting on Wednesday 8 February the City Planning Commitee met to consider the application to develop a 26 bed purpose built student accommodation block on the old Maximum Motors site in Howell Road (detail here). Each of our three Ward Councillors as well as Trust Chair, Robyn Connett, spoke in turn to argue the case for rejecting the Officer’s recommendation that permision be granted relying on the key aim of the Neighbourhood Plan “to ensure an appropriate balance between student resident and permanent resident population to ensure the sustainability of the community”.
Thanks to all who submitted comments as the large number of individuals objecting to the proposal was noted by the meeting and played no small part in helping to inform Members’ decision. In the event they voted convincingly not to accept the recommendation but a decision was deferred to a later meeting to allow the Planning Officer to prepare a revised Report with robust rationale for refusal. We await the application’s return to Planning Committe when confirmation of the decision to refuse is eagerly anticipated.
Watch this space – your support may well be needed again!
For a pleasant change the Trust has been able to welcome a recent planning application to alter the use of 49 Longbrook Street from a 6 bed HMO into three separate flats.
This listed property will require careful restoration to reflect its heritage value but we are delighted at the proposal to return its use to good quality residential housing for people wishing to make St James their home. Moreover, it is a step in the right direction of restoring a balanced and vibrant neighborhood consistent with the Exeter St James Neighbourhood Plan. The preamble to the Plan’s Community Policies states:
“a key aim of the plan is to ensure an appropriate balance between student resident and permanent resident population to ensure the long term sustainability of the community. This will be achieved by restricting further HMO development and encouraging an appropriate range of services and housing types to meet the needs of all sectors of the community.“
Hot on the heels of the proposal to convert the former Maximum Motors building in Howell Road into purpose built student accommodation (see here) comes yet another application. This time conversion of the office building at 51 New North Road, known as Beaufort House, into a 107 bed PBSA in 23 flats.
In defence of our Neighbourhood Plan which seeks to ensure that “St James is a vibrant neighbourhood with a balanced and diverse community” please oppose this latest application. Deadline for submissions is 5 February 2023 and details can be found on the council website here.
Exeter City Council is currently running a planning consultation on proposals to amend Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) rates in the city.
CIL revenue from development, first introduced in Exeter in 2013, is used to fund infrastructure and community facilities in the city.
The Council states: ‘Although this is a technical subject, the consultation is a public process and is important to inform the review of CIL rates for Exeter.’
The Trust Board agrees with this view and would like to encourage all members living in Exeter to set aside a little time for this, at least completing the sections over which you have a view before the consultation closes on 25 January 2023.
As we know to our cost, CIL is especially important here in St James where developers of purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) have been attracted by a charge 50% less than for other types of residential accommodation. Now a new kid on the block, Co-Living, has emerged where the Council also proposes a low rate of CIL for such developments. Could Co-Living become PBSA by another name?
Please read the background to this with a link to the main consultationhere.
NO more PBSA (purpose built student accommodation) in St James!
Already saturated with high numbers of temporary student residents, the Trust will continue to defend our statutory Neighbourhood Plan’s vision of a balanced and vibrant community whenever planning applications threaten to worsen the existing severe community imbalance. A recent application for the development of yet another PBSA in the back garden of 47 Union Road, itself a 13 bed house in Multiple Occupation, was robustly opposed with over 60 residents submitting objections. Thankfully, with the support of our city councillors, the application was refused.
Now another! This time a revised application to convert the old Maximum Motors site in Howell Road into a 26 bed PBSA and, worryingly, a planning officer has confirmed “the principle of purpose built student accommodation in this area is considered acceptable”. This is contrary to Policy H5(b) of the Exeter Local Plan First Review 1995-2011 which makes clear the use of the site for student housing would not be appropriate here as it would result in a further imbalance of population within the local community.
26 bed PBSA proposed here
Significantly it shows a complete disregard for a key policy of the Neighbourhood Plan:
Policy C2: Large Scale Purpose Built Student Accommodation
Large scale purpose built student accommodation will be permitted in areas where it can be properly integrated into the urban area. This means locations:
(a) that are not predominantly characterised by intact streets of traditional terraced, semi-detached and detached forms of 2-3 storey residential development;
(b) where the servicing and parking requirements could be achieved with no unacceptable impact on the amenity of the adjacent area for residents;
(c) where the scale and massing of any purpose built accommodation would be broadly similar to that of the surrounding buildings.
The Council’s deadline for submission of comments has now passed but many local residents concerned that such proposals threaten the sustainability of our community have submitted objections. You can read the Trust’s formal submission here.
On the afternoon of Sunday 2 October friends, residents and students came together in QCG for the University’s Community Engagement Team “Eat & Greet” event held in conjunction with the Trust’s now customary book sale.
University Community Engagement Officers had arranged for students to bring a variety of dishes to share. These were greatly appreciated, especially those from different cultures, and there was free ice cream for everbody!
Games were also organised to make the event a truly sociable occasion which was enjoyed by all.
Denouement of a game of Jenga!
The Trust is grateful to all those who donated books to enable us to raise much needed funds. We’ll hold another Book Sale next year. If you have books you no longer need please let us know.
The AGM held on 25 June was attended by 24 members including Board Members Robyn Connett (Chair), Paul Layton (Secretary), Rebecca Bower (Treasurer), Harry Temple and Beth Osment. A further 12 members appointed a Proxy.
Robyn welcomed members to the meeting – the first to be held face-to-face for over two years owing to Covid-19 restrictions – and spoke to various aspects of the Annual Report concentrating particularly on the Queen’s Crescent Garden regeneration project. Attention was drawn, following the winding up of Exeter St James Forum, to the launch of the new website and that the Trust would now take sole responsibility for publishing the biannual newsletter, About St James.
After questions from members the accounts were approved and Robyn Connett and Rebecca Bower were unanimously re-elected to the Board.
On Saturday 25 June the community once again responded brilliantly to the summer event in Queen’s Crescent Garden. Members and neighbours came together to enjoy the occasion and help raise funds for the Trust and the QCG regeneration project. Apart from dodging a couple of occasional showers nothing put a damper on an otherwise sunny day which was enjoyed by all.
There was something for everyone, young and old: children keen to secure a prize by completing the spotting trail around the garden, others (big and small!) having a go at welly wanging, plants galore, brisk trade at the cake and refreshment stall, scouring for a bargain amongst the bric-a-brac, guessing the location of buried treasure on the garden map, having a punt on the tombola and the excitement of winning the raffle.
A big thank you to all who generously donated plants, cakes and other items to sell as well as to local businesses who donated raffle prizes. Without your support the event would not have been such a success.
Special mention must be made of Newtown Roots Band for providing excellent musical entertainment and local residents Ben and Sophie Ambridge of Penguin Pizzas for cooking freshly made pizzas and donating profits to the Trust. Also to our city councillors who ensured the overheads were met by a ward grant.
