Plans submitted for co-living flats in centre of Exeter

McLaren Property are delighted to announce the submission of a planning application for a new co-living development in the heart of Exeter’s city centre, on Summerland Street, in between Verney Street and Red Lion Lane, EX1 2AT.

The development would provide 167 high-quality homes alongside an outstanding range of communal amenities: including a cinema room, gym, co-working space, library, as well as lounges and kitchens on each floor and a shared roof terrace.

The development will provide young professionals and key workers with much-needed opportunities to live and work in the heart of the city. The plans also include for 20% affordable homes, targeted specifically at local key workers.

The plans would ensure a wide range of economic benefits, including encouraging the retention of skilled graduates in Exeter; the generation of additional consistent footfall helping the retention of expenditure in the City; and positive inward investment to regenerate this tired site.

The city centre location of the development will place its residents within walking distance of all essential shops and amenities, increasing expenditure and footfall in the area, as well as enabling extensive access to all forms of public transport including Exeter Central station to the West and St James Park station to the North.

The submission of the planning application follows a positive public consultation with local residents, businesses, and stakeholder groups. Through the course of our pre-submission engagement with the local business community we have been told that local businesses currently struggle to attract skilled workers owing to the difficulty in obtaining suitable accommodation within the City Centre. We have also been told anecdotally that many people working in the City Centre commute into Exeter and live outside owing to the lack of suitable quality housing options.

Charles Frost from McLaren Property (Exeter) Ltd said: “After a positive public consultation, we are delighted to have now submitted our planning application for a high-quality co-living development in Exeter city-centre. Our development will cater for young professionals, key workers and recent graduates struggling to access accommodation in central Exeter.

Our proposal would be of huge economic benefit to the local area; increasing footfall and expenditure all year round, improving the existing public realm, and relieving pressure on family sized ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation’”.