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Red Cow is a large strategic site proposed for allocation in the Exeter Plan, located in the area of St David’s railway station. Cowley Bridge Road and Bonhay Road run along the eastern boundary and the platforms and rail lines of St David’s station lie to the west. The site is brownfield and currently contains St David’s station’s ‘head-house’, surface car parks associated with the railway station, storage and industrial uses, student accommodation and shops. The site boundary has extended since the last consultation to include the student accommodation at Brunel Close.
Part of the site is already allocated for mixed use redevelopment in the Exeter Local Plan First Review. The site is also included in the Liveable Exeter initiative. The City Council proposes that the existing allocation should be extended in the Exeter Plan in order to maximise the site’s potential.
Red Cow offers the opportunity to deliver and impressive and memorable city gateway, creating a sense of arrival into Exeter. As a strategic transport hub, the site is well suited to deliver a low carbon, low-car neighbourhood that optimises density. In order to deliver the high quality gateway envisaged, land owners, the City Council and other interested parties will need to work in close partnership. The development must meet the needs of railway uses, as well as responding to challenges such as flood risk, contamination, and protection of the amenities of nearby residents.
Further work will be required to consider the delivery of Red Cow. Consultation with the local community will be required before the submission of planning applications.
A site of 4 hectares at Red Cow is identified for a residential led mixed-use development delivering approximately 280 homes and an impressive and memorable city gateway that creates a sense of arrival into Exeter. The development must support the achievement of net zero and accord with the Liveable Exeter Principles, incorporating the highest standards of design and delivering a place people will visit, stay, work and live.
The following will be required:
A. A housing mix built to optimal densities taking account of local context and the Exeter Density Study which meets a wide range of housing needs including:
B. A mix of new forms of employment provision to meet the needs of the transformational sectors, including work hubs, collaborative workspace and live-work schemes.
C. Social, community and cultural infrastructure including:
D. Transport infrastructure to deliver a low-car development:
E. Enhancement of the natural environment and Green Infrastructure:
F. An energy strategy that minimises carbon emissions (both operational and embodied), incorporates renewable and low carbon energy generation and helps to deliver, and connect to, local energy networks.
G. Appropriate flood risk mitigation:
H. Conservation and enhancement of the historic environment:
Note: Policy not yet tested by viability appraisal.