A team of national experts on the regeneration of historic cities and towns were recently welcomed on a tour of Exeter by leaders of the City Council.
The Historic Places Panel, facilitated by Historic England, selected Exeter to visit to provide independent advice on how heritage can support the city centre’s growth and regeneration.
The panel learned about a community-led placemaking strategy driven by Exeter’s strengths in culture, innovation and enterprise.
They also explored ideas for capitalising on and celebrating the city’s array of scheduled monuments, including its city walls.
Discussions were hosted at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, including:
- Housing and Regeneration led by Ian Collinson, Strategic Director for Place, Exeter City Council
- Business and Investment Opportunities, led by Roger Clotworthy, Head of City Development at Exeter City Council and Nicola Wheeler, Manager of InExeter Business Improvement District
- Culture and creativity led by Fiona Carden, CEO of CoLab, and Lord Charles Courtenay the Earl of Devon
- Exploring opportunities for the city walls and inner bypass led by Owen Cambridge of Exeter City Council and Jamie Hulland of Devon County Council
The panel visited four neighbourhoods around the city centre originally identified by Liveable Exeter, including East Gate, which includes Sidwell Street, Paris Street and the Pyramids Leisure Centre and West Gate, which is currently occupied by the gyratory of the inner bypass and the medieval Exe Bridge scheduled monument.
Ross Simmonds, Regional Director for Historic England in the South West, said: “It has been inspiring to hear from people who are passionate about Exeter’s outstanding heritage and want to see it play a part in the city’s future.
“We’re grateful to Exeter City Council for hosting Historic England and the Historic Places Panel to meet and discuss the contribution heritage can make as Exeter grows and develops.”
Ben Derbyshire, Chair of the Historic Places Panel, said: “The Historic Places Panel is an independent group of experts convened by Historic England to support heritage-based regeneration.
“The panel is honoured to offer advice on how best Exeter, a city whose extraordinary past should resonate with its future, can accommodate substantial growth in the coming years. We are looking forward to developing ways in which Historic England can support the delivery of the Council’s inspiring vision for the city.”
Councillor Philip Bialyk, Leader of Exeter City Council, said: “I am delighted the Panel has chosen to visit our beautiful city and learn about how we are using 2000 years of history to shape Exeter’s future, and deliver our vision for an inclusive, healthy and sustainable city.
“The Panel’s recommendations will assist Exeter City Council in transforming parts of our city centre and build much needed homes for our residents.”
Bindu Arjoon, Chief Executive of Exeter City Council, added: “We are grateful for the time that the Panel and colleagues from Historic England spent with us hearing from the Council and our valued partners about our aspirations for the city now and in the future and we look forward to hearing their expert advice on how we blend our commitment to preserving our heritage with our ambitious plans for the future.”
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