PLANS have been submitted for a new roof terrace restaurant as part of the redevelopment of Exeter's Guildhall Shopping Centre.
Councillors gave the green light to the £7m revamp in May but now centre owners Aviva Investors want to amend the plans in order to create more alfresco dining space.
Designs by Bristol and London-based architects Preconstruct show diners basking in the sunshine and enjoying a twilight meal on the terrace overlooking Queen Street.
The planning application has been submitted to Exeter City Council at the request of an as yet unnamed restaurant operator. Negotiations over a lease for the first-floor unit are understood to be at an advanced stage.
Work is due to start early next year on creating a new restaurant quarter stretching from the neo-classical facade on Queen Street to Market Square.
The 36,500sq ft cluster of "premium casual dining" venues is being marketed to national restaurateurs and local operators under the new brand "Queen St – dining at Guildhall".
The Higher Market arcade and the former Poundland store will be converted into 13 restaurants, including another rooftop bar overlooking St Pancras Church. In addition, a two-storey coffee shop will be created at the High Street entrance to the shopping centre.
Guildhall Shopping Centre manager Andrew McNeilly said: "The planning application proposes minor alterations to the scheme as permitted, plus the provision of new restaurant floorspace, including a rooftop terrace.
"This amendment has come about as a result of ongoing negotiations with a prospective tenant who could see the benefit of a terrace in this area and the benefit that such a space would have for their particular style of business."
The new unit, on the roof of the existing Higher Market building, will provide 114sq m of additional Class A3 internal floorspace, with an additional external terrace seating area providing 182sq m of outside dining space.
Mr McNeilly declined to name the business concerned at this stage, but added: "Whilst we are still in the pre-construction phase of the development, as a property owner we like to be as accommodating as possible to prospective occupiers, ensuring that we are in the strongest possible position to deliver the vision of creating a new level of recognition for Queen Street and a unique dining destination area within the city."
Welcoming the revised plans, city centre manager John Harvey said: "It's an exciting addition to the already announced plans for the Guildhall Shopping Centre redevelopment, and particularly pleasing because I understand discussions are at an advanced stage with a tenant who is wishing to go into this area.
"It adds another dimension to the plans, bringing in more early evening vibrancy to the city centre and strengthening our reputation for being a good place to eat and drink in the evening. It's encouraging that there's real interest from a number of tenants wanting to come into the development. This is very much moving in the right direction as far as getting a really good mix of users into the scheme is concerned, so I'm excited by the way the discussions are going."
