Agenda item

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for Place.

Agreed:

RESOLVED that:

1) the publication of the draft City Centre Strategy 2026 – 2031 be approved for public consultation from 18 May 2026 for six weeks; and

2) delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Director for Place, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder, to change the consultation date if required.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report.

The Executive received the report on the draft City Centre Strategy 2026 - 2031, entitled ‘Exeter: Our City Centre’, which was in the final stages of its development and that feedback was being sought from residents and the business community. As such the report was seeking authorisation from the Executive to go out to public consultation from 18 May 2026 for six weeks.

The Strategic Director for Place in presenting the report made the following points:

·        the report was presented in conjunction with the Exeter Cultural Strategy 2026 – 2031, seeking approval to proceed to public consultation and neither strategy documents had been published at this time;

·        both strategies had been developed through extensive prior engagement with key stakeholders, supported by research and evidence gathering;

·        both documents followed a consistent structure: a clear vision, key themes, and supporting strategic actions;

·        subject to Executive approval, the documents would then be published for public consultation, with a view to reporting back to Executive to recommend Council approval in September 2026;

·        each strategy will develop more detailed action plans, which would be co-produced with stakeholders and partners, ensuring shared ownership while the Council provided leadership to bring them forward;

·        delivery would be supported by theme-based groups drawing on specialist expertise to help prepare the Council for future local government reorganisation, aligning with approaches already adopted in unitary authorities elsewhere;

·        a preview of the draft City Centre Strategy was provided and it was re-iterated that the final document had not yet been shared publicly;

·        the strategy was framed as a Council-led approach, setting new policy direction for the city centre;

·        work had commenced before the Covid pandemic, but had been paused, and since been re-shaped to reflect the changed economic conditions and high street challenges, with a focus on long-term resilience and placemaking;

·        engagement during 2024 included facilitated workshops with local businesses, community groups, and elected Members from both Devon County Council and Exeter City Council;

·        workshop discussions had explored challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the city centre, with feedback and anonymised quotes forming the strategy;

·        a resident survey findings highlighted the strong links between the city centre and culture, reinforcing the alignment between the strategies;

·        a soft city centre boundary was defined for the strategic purpose, which was rooted in historic geography, four key gateways, movement routes, and key assets (parks, heritage buildings, connections);

·        the strategy also set out a clear, accessible, and ambitious vision, reflecting stakeholder feedback;

·        six key themes had been identified during the process, which was based on engagement and evidence, and would be delivered through the detailed action plan;

·        the next steps, following Executive approval was to proceed to a six week public consultation, after the forthcoming local elections;

·        the consultation outcomes would be reported back to Executive, with any proposed amendments and recommendations for Full Council for adoption;

·        a detailed action plan, including outcomes, outputs, responsibilities, costs, and partner contributions would also be developed at the same time; and

·        all actions would be embedded within Council service plans, ensuring a corporate and cross-council approach to delivery.

The Strategic Director for Place further confirmed that while the report could not be published or formally consulted upon during the pre?election period, preparatory work could continue. The strategy had been in development for several years and was now at a stage where Member consideration was needed.

The report was being brought to Executive to enable consultation to begin promptly once the pre?election period ends, ensuring sufficient time for adoption and the commencement of action planning ahead of anticipated organisational change.

During the discussion, Executive Members raised the following points and Questions:

·        it was enquired whether sufficient time would be allowed to revise the strategy prior to adoption, should the consultation raise significant comments or concerns;

·        noting the short timetable, it was queried whether the consultation materials were already prepared, what form the consultation would take, and whether the relevant Portfolio Holder would have sight of the consultation questions and format;

·        it was enquired whether Portfolio Holders were restricted from providing further input into the strategies prior to consultation during the pre?election period, noting that Portfolio Holders had already seen the final draft;

·        clarification was sought on whether Members were being asked to endorse the overall direction, timescales and scope of consultation, subject to pre?election restrictions, and whether Portfolio Holders would continue to be involved in fine?tuning the document before publication; and

·        further detail on the consultation approach was sought, specifically on how the Council intended to reach harder?to?reach groups given that the consultation would be conducted online.

In response to questions and points raised by Executive Members, the Strategic Director for Place advised:

·        there was sufficient time built into the timetable to collate, analyse and assess consultation responses and to make revisions to the strategy document if required prior to adoption;

·        the strategies had been drafted in a future?proofed way, drawing heavily on extensive prior engagement, and therefore significant unexpected issues were not anticipated;

·        a full consultation report would be prepared and presented alongside the final strategy;

·        the consultation would be undertaken primarily through an online survey and questions were in the process of being developed. They would be broadly consistent with those used during the 2024 workshops, with some refinements based on learning from that engagement;

·        the consultation would be hosted on the Council’s engagement platform and prepared in advance to ensure it was ready to launch promptly;

·        the document was still in draft form and remained under full editorial control, with scope for further minor adjustments and changes could continue to be made until the document was finalised and uploaded to the consultation platform, at which point it would not be amended again until after consultation;

·        the consultation would be widely publicised to ensure that businesses, residents and other stakeholders were made aware of it, and able to access the online survey;

·        no further workshops, events or exhibitions were planned, as extensive face?to?face engagement had already been undertaken earlier in the process;

·        support would be available in line with the Council’s consultation charter to assist individuals who may need help accessing the online platform or documents;

·        alternative methods of response, including written submissions, would be accepted and encouraged;

·        partner organisations would also be encouraged to use their networks to promote the consultation and to submit their own collective views; and

·        all feedback received through those channels would be collated and considered as part of the overall analysis.

Opposition group leaders raised the following points and questions:

·        would the strategy document include proposals for physical redevelopment in the city centre, and how it related to previous strategic documents, particularly in distinguishing between minor public realm improvements and larger future redevelopment opportunities;

·        clarification was sought on how the strategy aligned with the Exeter Local Plan and whether there were any implications for that process;

·        had formal input been received from Devon County Council and whether their views would be reflected in the strategy;

·        had the authority responsible for public transport, been given the opportunity to input into the strategy following the transfer of powers in April;

·        what was the legal status of the strategy once adopted by Exeter City Council, particularly in the context of the interim period leading to the creation of a new unitary authority;

·        it was requested that the Equality Impact section (page 24) be amended so that the commentary on potential barriers to engaging with an online consultation, currently referenced under race, also be included under the protected characteristics of gender reassignment and sexual orientation; and

·        it was noted that these groups may similarly experience difficulties engaging with the consultation, particularly given wider global circumstances affecting feelings of safety and confidence in participation.

In response to questions raised by opposition Members, the Strategic Director for Place advised:

·        the Equality Impact Assessment would be updated to include commentary on barriers to engagement under the protected characteristics of gender reassignment and sexual orientation;

·        the strategy was not a statutory planning, highways or Combined Authority document and carried no formal legal status beyond being a consultation document;

·        the strategy did not allocate land or propose specific development and was not a land use plan, but it aligned with the emerging Local Plan, the Corporate Plan and other related strategies;

·        the strategy was described as a strategic, non?statutory framework intended to bring partners and stakeholders together to develop collaborative actions and investment opportunities; and

·        it did not place legal obligations on any organisation, unlike formal plans such as the Local Plan or transport strategies.

The Leader moved the recommendations, which were seconded by Councillor Wright, voted upon, and CARRIED unanimously.

RESOLVED that:

1) the publication of the draft City Centre Strategy 2026 – 2031 be approved for public consultation from 18 May 2026 for six weeks; and

2) delegated authority be granted to the Strategic Director for Place, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder, to change the consultation date if required.