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Greater Exeter Strategic Plan

Marsh Barton – Central Growth Area

Site Reference: SA-EX-10

Housing and Employment Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) sites included: None

Parish(es): Not applicable

District(s): Exeter City Council

Site size: 85 hectares

Number of homes considered in Sustainability Appraisal Report: 4,545 – 5,400 homes

Indicative number of homes factoring in sensitivities and requirements (see below): 5,544 homes

Potential for employment use: Would need to incorporate employment floorspace.

Relationship with existing allocations and other potential GESP sites: Adjoins site option SA-EX-6 (Water Lane) to its east. Policy CP2 of the Exeter Core Strategy protects the employment status of the site. The site is identified for future redevelopment in Exeter City Council’s Liveable Exeter Programme.

Planning status: Various employment and commercial permissions across the trading estate area. Planning consent has been granted for a new train station off Alphin Brook Road.

Summary description of the site: A large area of older employment, retail, quasi retail and car showroom uses in the south of the city, largely bounded by the mainline railway, Alphington Road, residential areas and the Alphin Brook. Generally low rise, lower quality buildings on level ground with main access from south and west. Contains an energy from waste plant in the south east corner, a recycling centre and an emerging retail/leisure quarter near Exeter Retail Park.

Opportunities

This site is identified for consideration in the GESP because:

  • It provides a substantial, flat brownfield redevelopment opportunity
  • It is within cycling distance of the city centre and within walking distance of Exeter St Thomas and the proposed Marsh Barton railway stations, the Alphington Road bus route and St Thomas local shops. It therefore has the potential to provide largely car-free residential development
  • Redevelopment could significantly enhance the appearance of this key gateway to Exeter City Centre
  • A proportion of the site is in public sector ownership, providing additional influence over design and delivery and the opportunity to reinvest proceeds into city improvements
  • Additional residents in this area would boost city and local centre viability and create the demand for additional commercial and retail facilities in the area
  • It could utilise waste heat from the energy from waste facility on site

Sensitivities

The site has a number of sensitivities which redevelopment would need to take into account, including:

  • It may impact upon the Exe Estuary, which is a Natura 2000 protected wildlife sites sensitive to an increase in the number of visitors
  • Loss of, or disturbance to, many local businesses providing about 4,000 – 5,000 jobs
  • Existing uses including the energy from waste plant and various recycling and waste management facilities
  • All of the site is affected by flooding (flood zone 3)

Requirements

Planning requirements for the site will aim to create a great place to live and work, providing well designed new neighbourhoods with appropriate and well managed public open space and safe walking/cycling routes. All sites will need to provide a mix of homes (including affordable and custom build), investment

in low carbon energy and transport, high speed internet and wildlife enhancements. More detail on these can be found in the policies within Section B of this document. Other emerging requirements include::

  • High quality, high density design that provides a healthy living environment for new residents
  • A phased release of land for employment use, to allow for consideration of supply and demand
  • A local centre at the heart of the site
  • A new all-through school comprising a primary school, a secondary school and SEN provision, plus a children’s centre service delivery base
  • Potential youth and library provision as part of wider community facilities
  • Funding of measures to reduce the impact on the Exe Estuary including provision/contribution towards Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG)
  • Largely car-free residential development supported by more sustainable transport measures including car clubs, e-bikes, bus services and some focused junction improvements
  • East-west and north-south green infrastructure/cycling/walking routes linking to the wider city, including crossings over the railway line into the Water Lane area
  • Financial contributions towards the Exeter cycle network and park and ride expansion at Peamore and Alphington
  • Flood defence and resilience analysis and infrastructure
  • The need for development to take account of the energy from waste plant which would need to be retained. Consideration of the other existing waste management uses on site
  • Development will need to respect the privacy of nearby dwellings

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