A NEW block of flats in Whipton, proposed on the site of a car park next to Rennes House, is set for planning approval.
Permission is being sought to demolish the existing two-storey concrete car park in Vaughan Road, and construct a new block of 26 flats, to reduce the huge demand for rented social housing in the city.
The development, located opposite Whipton Barton School in Hill Lane, will be up to four storeys high, and include changes to existing access and car parking.
A total of 42 parking spaces will be provided – 27 for the new flats, and 15 for Rennes House, as well as 27 cycle spaces.
The original application was to build 27 flats – three two-bed homes, and 24 one-bed home, but following negotiations, there will now be one less flat. On the ground floor, one flat is designed as a mobility unit.
Objections raised so far have included a loss of multi-fuctional parking used by parents of the school; lack of consultation; increased traffic congestion because of lost parking; and loss of amenity space for residents of Rennes House which is housing aimed at over-55s.
The conclusion of the planning application report states, "While the impact on the open space to serve Rennes House is a major downside to the scheme, the overall benefits in terms of delivery of affordable housing, and potential release of larger affordable housing properties as a result of tenants downsizing to the proposed flats, are considered to outweigh this concern.
"The proposal will help to meet the huge demand and need for rented social housing in the city."
Consent was initially granted for the development five years ago, when the original proposal was for a four-storey block of 21 apartments, but since then housing needs in Exeter have changed, with an increased demand for one-bed units for over-55s.
The current building design is a curved shape with living rooms and kitchen windows facing onto a shared communal garden.
All of the non-ground flats are provided with balconies, which form an important part of the overall design.
The highest point of the building will be 16m. In comparison, Rennes House is around 29m high.
The closest gap between the two properties will be 14m.
Observations about the design made in the planning report state: "The proposed design is unusual and not of a scale or appearance which is directly comparable with other buildings in the vicinity.
"However, it is of a high quality which will not detract from the character of the area or the quality of the local environment."
The application has been recommended for approval at Exeter City Council's next planning meeting on February 2.
