Exeter City Council Plans to Relocate Headquarters

Exeter City Council is proceeding with plans to relocate from its well-known headquarters at the Civic Centre to smaller office spaces throughout the city. This decision comes as the council observes a decrease in office occupancy due to the rise of hybrid working arrangements.

The council is considering three potential new office locations: the Guildhall Shopping Centre, adjacent to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, and on the Marsh Barton industrial estate. This strategic move aims to better align the council’s office space with current operational needs.

Phil Bialyk, the council leader, mentioned that following the relocation, the Civic Centre could be repurposed to provide new housing options as part of urban redevelopment initiatives. The area around the Civic Centre is already undergoing transformation, with the previous bus station facing demolition.

During a recent meeting, the executive of Exeter City Council unanimously voted to advance the relocation plans and recommended that the full council allocate £100,000 to further develop the proposed scheme. The council currently occupies only one of the three buildings located at the Civic Centre, leading to significant underutilization of space.

Efforts to lease out the remaining two buildings have seen limited success, which has not yielded the expected rental income. The Civic Centre is also home to other organizations, including the Exeter Citizen’s Advice service and Devon and Cornwall Police.