Exeter City Council

Exeter is gearing up for a strong performance in the delivery of new housing over the next few years, despite the increasingly challenging economic conditions, the City Council has said.

A total of 26,411 new homes were registered in the UK in the three months to the end of October 2012, roughly the same level as the same period last year.

But homes registered in the public sector were down 2% compared to the same period last year.

Though there are challenging times ahead in the housing market, and especially for the delivery of much needed affordable housing,...

Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club chief executive Tony Rowe is predicting a bright future ahead for the Aviva Premiership outfit after councillors in the city gave planning consent for the multi-million pound redevelopment of their Sandy Park Stadium.

In the proposals submitted by the ambitious Devon club, they intend over at least the next five years to raise their ground capacity from that of the current figure of 10,744 to double that of 20,600.

The redevelopment plans, which will total in the region of £24 million when completed, will involve building three new...

Plans for a combined total of almost 1,000 new homes in Exeter have been given the go-ahead by the City Council.

The homes were proposed in eight planning applications that were agreed at the two October meetings of the City Council’s Planning Committee.

The proposals include over 200 affordable homes and contributions to local infrastructure, such as roads and schools, through legal agreements and future New Homes Bonus exceeding £18 million.

Three of the approved developments are at Newcourt, the others are Bishopscourt Quarry, off Sidmouth Road, St Loyes, Earl...

Exeter City Council last night voted unanimously in favour of the plans put forward to develop Sandy Park, the home of the Exeter Chiefs Rugby club. The Premiership side submitted ambitious plans earlier this year that would see the stadium's capacity increase from 10,750 to 20,600 and the club's conference and banqueting facilities also expanded.

Chiefs Chairman Tony Rowe said "We built Sandy Park with a view to getting into the Premiership.

He added: "We are not intending to go back to the Championship so we are looking at the future of our sport and where we want to go...

Budding ghost hunters can get into the ‘spirit’ of Halloween this year by taking part in the ever popular Spooks and Broomsticks Tours. Managed by Exeter City Council, these free guided walking tours take place on Wednesday 31 October and depart from outside the Royal Clarence Hotel, Cathedral Yard, from 6.15pm, with the last tour departing at 7pm. The tours are suitable for all ages. People need to bring along a torch or lantern and dress up in a spooky outfit if they dare! Those attending will be able to listen to chilling tales about Exeter’s ghostly past, and discover why Exeter is...

Exeter City Council has turned to technology to tell residents about disruptions to refuse collections caused by bad weather.

Live information from refuse lorries is set to be beamed back to the authority’s website, informing residents of any problems caused by snow and ice.

A city council spokesman said: “We know that in times of extremely adverse weather conditions where residential roads have not been cleared of snow and ice by the Highways Authority, that it may become unsafe for our refuse collection vehicles to travel along those roads, or the roads may be blocked by...

Devon County Council is set to invest £3 million into a vital flood relief scheme for Exeter.

The council's cabinet will be asked to approve the contribution at its meeting on Wednesday (10 October).

And senior councillors will press the Environment Agencyto try to bring forward the projected start of the scheme from January 2017.

They will hear that efforts to accelerate the £25 million scheme are dependent on raising £12 million locally.

That would be added to the £13 million national grant which the scheme is expected to attract.

It is also...

The award-winning York-based architects brown + company have won approval for a major housing project in Exeter.

Plans to build more than 800 studios and student flats at a gateway site on the edge of the city centre have finally been given the green light by planners.

A total of 399 student flats and 414 co-living studios will be constructed in buildings up to six storeys high on the brownfield site of the old police station and magistrates' court on Heavitree Road.

Previous plans for the site - owned by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and which...

As part of a commitment to improving access to services for customers and supporting the night-time economy in the city, Exeter City Council will be staying open late on Thursdays from today (11 April).

The move comes as the Council recognises that some residents may wish to access services outside of ‘traditional’ office hours. In order to test the demand for this, the local authority will run a six-month trial to offer services to those that may find it more convenient to visit in the early evening.

The council is also committed to working with city centre retailers to...