Derelict Devon toilets could be revived in surprise new venture

Derelict public toilets in Exeter city centre could be transformed into a street food takeaway selling falafel, halloumi and hummus.

The toilets in Blackboy Road, just off the roundabout at the top of Sidwell Street, closed in 2019.

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Applicant Falafelco has submitted a proposal to the city council which it says would provide “a fresh, healthy and entirely vegetarian” street food takeaway.

It says the old toilet block would be sensitively converted to transform a disused and neglected site into a sustainable new venture with a “positive, active community use”.

The business would create local employment, says the applicant, and support regional suppliers where possible. It would focus on minimising environmental and amenity impacts.

Falafelco intends to commission a mural to liven up the site and says it will appeal to students, office workers, residents, visitors and tourists.

The core menu would consist of fresh falafel sandwiches, wraps and salad boxes, as well as halloumi dishes, homemade hummus, chips and soft drinks. No meat products would be handled or sold.

Recyclable and compostable packaging would be used wherever possible, with the aim of minimising single-use plastic. 

Customers who bring their own cups or food containers would receive a discount.

The plan is to open from 10am to 9pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 10am to 6pm on Sundays and public holidays.

The application says: “Falafelco represents a sustainable, community-focused and commercially viable use for a long-derelict site.”

Planning permission was refused for a previous application on the site in 2024. 

That application sought to demolish the existing building and replace it with a new structure. 

It was turned down because the city council felt it was too large and would harm the character of the local area.

The latest application proposes retaining the existing building. 

The site is close to a historic chapel, wall and almshouses, as well as a granite water trough which serves as a memorial to Arthur Kempe, a 19th-century surgeon, magistrate, churchman and philanthropist.