Nash Partnrership behind city鈥檚 largest brownfield mixed-use scheme

Water Lane_image courtesy of Nash Partnership for Water Lane DMC

The Nash Partnership-designed scheme will include 980 homes and 40,000sq m of commercial space

Exeter council has approved plans for nearly 1,000 homes on a dilapidated waterside site.

The Water Lane scheme has been designed by Nash Partnership for developer Water Lane Development Management Company and will include a total of 980 homes, 40,000 sq m of office space, 320 student homes and over 100 later living homes. 

The mostly vacant and unused 6ha brownfield site, described by Nash as 鈥渆xceptionally difficult and neglected鈥�, is located along a canal close to the city centre. 

It is the largest mixed-use brownfield site in the council鈥檚 local regeneration plan and its development has been a top priority for the local authority, which described it in the planning hearing as 鈥減robably one of the most important [applications] this committee has considered in many years鈥�.

Water Lane2_image courtesy of Nash Partnership for Water Lane DMC

The homes will be built on an 鈥榚xceptionally difficult and neglected鈥� site along a canal

The outline application was submitted in 2023 before undergoing a lengthy consultation period, which influenced a series of design amendments submitted last year.

Water Lane DMC project director Richard Clarke said: 鈥淲e鈥檝e reached a huge milestone in our journey towards regenerating this highly sustainable but very challenging site. 

鈥淭here鈥檚 still much work to be done, but we鈥檙e keen to keep up the momentum by getting the site prepared and submitting infrastructure designs for consideration as soon as we can.鈥�

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