Planning permission secured for Clarendon House, Exeter
Chapman Taylor is pleased to announce that a resolution to grant planning permission has been secured for the redevelopment of Clarendon House, marking an important milestone in the transformation of this key site within Exeter’s emerging Eastgate development area.
Designed for developer Zinc Real Estate, the scheme will deliver 297 high-quality Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) units at a prominent city-centre gateway location, opposite the recently completed St Sidwell’s Point Leisure Centre.
The vision is to create a vibrant student community supported by extensive internal and external amenity spaces, alongside a new Innovation Hub that will connect students with local enterprise and help strengthen graduate retention within the city.
The project has been shaped through an extensive consultation process involving Exeter City Council, Historic England, and the wider public. It also introduces a new landscaped pedestrian route linking the Triangle car park to Western Way, complemented by enhanced pedestrian crossings and wider public-realm improvements.
The building has been carefully designed to respond to key views of Exeter Cathedral while establishing a confident contemporary presence at this important urban junction. A landscape-led approach creates a new green edge, a sequence of garden rooms, and a generous communal courtyard that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding civic context. The architecture draws on local character, using a refined material palette and clear elevational hierarchy to form a coherent and engaging composition.
Sustainability and long-term flexibility are central to the proposal. The building is targeting BREEAM Excellent through a high-performance envelope and energy-efficient systems, while modular accommodation layouts allow for potential future conversion to alternative residential uses.