Exeter focuses on vision for City Centre

Exeter is to maintain a strong focus on the future for its High Street and City Centre, a new report has revealed.

With many authorities up and down the country coming under criticism for taking their eyes off the high street, Exeter City Council confirmed today that it had very clear plans for the heart of the city, revealing its updated City Centre Strategy.

The new Strategy covers the period 2013 to 2022 and focuses on how Exeter City Centre can grow and develop over the next five to ten years.

In recent weeks there has been some criticism of local authorities for taking their focus away from the High Street and not having any strategic plans. However, Exeter City Council's Lead Councillor for Economy and Culture, Cllr Rosie Denham, said that is definitely not the case in Exeter.

"We have our eyes very much focussed on the future of our High Street and the City Centre in general," she said. "In fact the High Street in Exeter is probably in the strongest position it has been since the recession, although we must not be complacent.

"In Exeter we have a strong vision for the city centre and the role of both the big multiples and our independent traders, which add so much to its variety and attracts residents and visitors. This is emphasised within the City Centre Strategy which has been the subject of widespread consultation with the public and the business community and will shortly be going before the Council's Executive."

The Strategy aims to build on recent successes and point the way forward for the city centre. It is intended to provide a framework for development, but widespread commitment and agreement from businesses and a number of organisations and agencies will be necessary to move the City Centre forward.

During consultation a wide range of views were expressed but the key themes that emerged were:

The importance of strengthening the focus on the evening and night-time economy – ensuring it is lively, that it offers attractions for all and that the City Centre feels like a safe place;
Celebrating and further strengthening the cultural vibrancy of the city and the City Centre and delivering a reputation for exciting and unique events throughout the year and during day and night;
Delivering ease of access into the City Centre;
Ensuring the city's car parks and transport infrastructure support the City Centre's vibrancy and economic wellbeing and encourage both visitor numbers and customer dwell time;
The importance of street maintenance and cleanliness;
Celebrating and promoting the diversity of the Exeter retail offer as effectively as possible;
The importance of a City Centre accessible to all;
Realising the full potential of the Cathedral as a major tourist attraction, with the development of a new Cathedral visitor strategy taken forward alongside the City Centre Strategy;
Ensuring the city's position at the heart of one of of the best food producing regions in the country is recognised within the city centre offer;
Using the uniqueness of the City Centre's layout as a key marketing tool to benefit the city.

Cllr Denham added: "This strategy has been drafted during difficult times, with the most significant squeeze on public finances for decades. These are challenging times indeed but Exeter has coped with the recession relatively more successfully than other centres to date. The most important thing is that these plans are developed and led locally – no 'one size fits all' in terms of the approach needed for a concerted and joint effort towards ensuring the survival of our city centre."

The City Centre Strategy goes before the Council's Executive on 17 September. If approved, a reformed City Centre Management Partnership will be asked to adopt and publish the strategy later in the Autumn.