Devon County cabinet to decide on £4m Exeter County Hall land sale

Formal plans to sell part of the County Hall estate in Exeter are set to be discussed by cabinet members at Devon County Council next Wednesday 11 March, in a meeting that is expected to attract significant public interest.

Councillors will consider proposals to dispose of a 1.5-acre parcel of land within the wider five-hectare County Hall site. The authority declared the land surplus in October 2023, and it is estimated to be worth around £4 million.

The site, formerly occupied by the Matford Huts offices, now consists largely of open grassed space. The proposed disposal covers around 0.6 hectares of the estate, including approximately 0.2 hectares classified as public open space. 

Of that total, 0.23 hectares were previously developed with temporary buildings, leaving around 0.37 hectares of predominantly open land.

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Ahead of the meeting, the council has emphasised that the land is not currently being marketed and that no expressions of interest from developers will be accepted while a decision is pending. Members will review responses to a renewed public consultation before determining whether to proceed with the sale or take an alternative course of action.

A spokesperson said: “This is a repeat of the public consultation that ran in 2024, and any objections previously received will be considered as part of the current review.” 

“All consultation responses will be fully considered before any final decision is made.”

The council has also stated that most trees on the site are protected and that key walking routes would be retained. The authority maintains that the land has been identified as surplus to operational requirements and that any decision will follow consideration of consultation feedback.

However, the proposal has prompted a strong community response in recent weeks. A previous council report recorded 133 objections, raising concerns about the site’s location within a conservation area, the presence of protected trees, infrastructure pressures and the broader approach to managing public assets.

On Saturday 28 February, around 350 residents gathered on the County Hall grounds to stage a demonstration, forming a large human heart shape on the grass to symbolise what they see as the importance of the space to the local community. 

Organisers said the event was intended to show the strength of feeling about the future of the site.Will Duffin, a GP and St Leonards resident, said: “This sale doesn’t appear to be part of a coherent plan for the site as a whole.

“When the Matford buildings were demolished, planning conditions required the land to be grassed over for five years. During that time it has become a genuinely valued green space.”

Local Green Party councillor Andy Ketchin said residents were “hugely disappointed” by the proposal, noting that the land is not earmarked for development in the current Exeter Local Plan consultation.

“There has already been significant housing growth in this area, and further development risks increasing pressure on green space and local services,” he said.

“With both councils facing accommodation and financial pressures, there may be opportunities to explore co-location or more efficient use of existing buildings, rather than selling land in isolation.”

Green Party activist Lynn Wetenhall said the debate highlighted wider questions about how the County Hall estate is used.“County Hall is reportedly between 70 and 80 per cent empty much of the time,” she said.

“Instead of selling land parcel by parcel, there needs to be a root-and-branch review of how the estate (buildings and green space together) could serve social, economic and environmental needs.”

Cllr Wetenhall added: “Devon County Council’s own officers have stated that the land is part of the conservation and heritage value of that part of the grounds, so it should be kept as a greenfield site.”

Wednesday’s cabinet discussion is expected to clarify the next steps.