We have identified 50 evidence-based social value themes for Exeter City Council in South West across 25 service areas. These insights are derived from the latest council meeting transcripts and can inform your social value strategy for bids and tenders.
Refusal of open space housing scheme
Members concluded that the proposed development on protected open space should be refused. The discussion centred on conflict with the development plan, loss of openness, conservation area harm, desig…
“I'm going to avoid the use of the word green field because that in itself is an emotive term. Instead, I'm simply going to say that this site has been…”
Heritage and green space harms
Members and the officer highlighted the site's location in a conservation area and the harm caused by developing a protected open space. Concerns included loss of openness, tree impact, widening of th…
“This site is in a conservation area. The site will be further urbanized through the expanse of hard landscaping and the widening of the gateway result…”
Complete section 106 before approval
Officers said the recommendation to approve was subject to completion of the section 106 agreement, with authority to refuse if the agreement was not completed in time. They also noted various plannin…
“There is a supplementary party of the 106 is not completed to give um to give officers the power to refuse the application if the section 106 agreemen…”
Section 106 package secured
The applicant’s planning obligations package was discussed in detail, including a sports pitch contribution, an NHS/GP surgery contribution, biodiversity mitigation, and over £1 million for off-site a…
“So the the key funding issues are set out in the report highlight some it talks about principal development as greenfield site within the urban area i…”
Reasons for refusal delegated
After the vote to refuse, members agreed to delegate authority to the chair to approve the officers' final reasons for refusal. Officers said this would avoid a further deferral and allow refusal to b…
“Um, the one thing that we we do need to make sure we're clear about is process following on from uh you've given us clear steer on on the reasons and …”
Draft refusal reasons
The committee asked officers to draft robust reasons for refusal reflecting the main concerns raised in debate, with emphasis on conservation area harm, loss of open space, design scale and massing, a…
“If members are not minded not to follow the officer recommendation which is fairly evident from the from the debate. Uh it would be helpful to identif…”
Updated housing land supply removes tilted balance
Officers advised that a new five-year housing land supply statement had been published shortly before the meeting, which meant the tilted balance no longer applied. The application therefore had to be…
“So draw members attention. There is a an update sheet, an additional information sheet circulated to head of Steven's committee with an additional rep…”
Five-year supply shifts test
Members noted that the updated five-year housing land supply position changed the decision framework from the tilted balance to the ordinary planning balance. This affected the overall assessment of t…
“We have also had confirmed that the five-year housing land supply now means we do not have a tilted balance against. So one has to look very carefully…”
Heritage harm weighed against benefits
The committee heard repeated arguments that the site lies within a conservation area and that the proposal would erode openness and character. Officers maintained the harm was less than substantial an…
“The the key funding issues are set out in the report highlight some it talks about principal development as greenfield site within the urban area in t…”
New CIL/S106 decision framework
Council approved a new decision-making framework for strategic CIL and Section 106 spending. The framework creates a cross-party advisory forum, uses officer scoring matrices, and routes recommendatio…
“This report seeks approval for a new decision- making framework uh for SIL. That's the community infrastructure levy uh and section 106 contributions.…”
Section 106 and sports contribution
The debate referenced a substantial financial contribution, including a £95,000 sports provision element and a total off-site affordable housing contribution of about £1.07 million. Members questioned…
“I also find, you know, we we hear 95,000 and that satisfies Sport England, but there's no nothing in the report that guarantees that that 95,000 for s…”
Parking order consultation for Cathedral and Key
The council is consulting on changes to the parking places order for Cathedral and Key, including moving it from zone 2 to zone 1 and extending charging to 10 p.m. The changes are tied to the wider ca…
“members will recall that we brought a report uh to the last executive seeking uh to go out to consultation on the parking places order. Um that was ne…”
£2.5m refurbishment programme
The council plans to bring Cathedral and Key car park back into use through a major capital investment of about £2.5 million. The refurbishment is presented as necessary to improve the asset, support …
“in readiness for next Tuesday when we uh propose uh an additional budget of two half million pounds uh for the enhancement and improvement of of Cathe…”
Executive backs in-house model
The executive ultimately preferred option B, keeping management in-house rather than awarding an external contract. Members argued this would preserve local control, staff terms and conditions, flexib…
“The preferred option that we would um choose is the B option that the management is carried out in house by the council through increasing staffing cl…”
Car park management contract
The executive considered procuring an external operator to manage Cathedral and Key once it becomes a pay-on-foot car park. The officer said a proper local authority procurement exercise would be requ…
“The team have looked at two options. Uh the first option being to externalize the management of the car park. That's not an outsourcing of the car par…”
In-house staffing model costs
The preferred in-house option would use six full-time equivalents, with staffing at grade G and additional cleansing, security and graffiti-removal responsibilities. The officer described it as higher…
“The second option uh that we have looked at is to undertake works in house. Um and um we've based this on the way that we manage uh Gild Hall and John…”
Biodiversity and trees concern
Several members argued that the scheme would reduce biodiversity on a site that had been rewilding since the school closed. They linked this to the loss of trees, green boundaries, and ecological valu…
“we've also heard about what can't be done. we can't have an accessible path and we can't have more biodiversity. But I find that strange because it's …”
Air quality strategy timetable
The portfolio holder confirmed the air quality strategy and action plan consultation will launch in late June 2026, run for six weeks, then return through scrutiny, executive and council in late 2026 …
“According to the council website, there will be a consultation on draft air quality strategy this summer and a draft air quality strategy and air qual…”
Biodiversity mitigation and tree planting
The application includes biodiversity net gain mitigation, with officers explaining that a 10% net gain could not be achieved entirely on site and part of the requirement would therefore be delivered …
“The proposal not only seeks to retain but also reinforce the defining tree belt to the boundaries with a detailed landscaping scheme which proposes ci…”
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