Exeter shopping centre revamp gets green light

The £7m revamp of Exeter’s Guildhall shopping centre has been given the green light by the city’s planning committee.

BDP designed the scheme, for owners Aviva Investors, which will remodel the historic ambulatory by introducing shop fronts between the colonnades.  The central square will also be redesigned to provide a high quality public space with new terraced seating around the 12th century St Pancras Church. The scheme will also provide more restaurant use with the addition of a rooftop terrace.

The committee was full of praise for the redesign, which will bring the building back in line with how it looked in the 1930s.

Cllr Phil Bialyk, chairman of the committee, said: “It will look a lot better. I think the whole area will be improved, making people want to stay longer in Exeter. If we can get the night time economy going, that will be great.”

The committee has already approved BDP’s plans for improvements to the centre’s High Street entrance, and work on this part of the scheme will start in August.