Exeter City Council - Quality of Life
Exeter offers a great quality of life to people of all ages and interests. The list below illustrates why the city is an attractive location in which to live, trade, work, and learn. Most of these attractions are within a 30 minute drive or a short rail journey of Exeter:
- Over 100 arts, cultural, sporting and heritage events each year
- Indoor and outdoor leisure and sports facilities including a new climbing centre in Exeter and David Lloyd fitness centre
- New rugby stadium – Exeter Chiefs
- International standard athletics stadium
- Over 1,000 miles (1600km) of public footpaths, including 15 long distance routes
- New coastal walk/ cycle paths from Topsham to Exmouth alongside Exe Estuary
- 60 Golf courses in Devon, 30 within an easy drive of the city
- 7 areas of outstanding natural beauty including Dartmoor National Park
- Exmoor National Park
- The Jurassic/Triassic Coastline which starts at Exmouth. This was England's first natural World Heritage site.
- 5 valley parks including a Devon Wildlife Trust Sanctuary and Nature Reserve
- Four RSPB nature reserves of international importance
- 25 National Trust properties in Devon, with 11 in Exeter
- 14 Heritage Sites.
- More than 50 attractions, including animal parks, adventure parks, museums, galleries theatres, river cruises, castles, waterfalls and gardens
- 289 miles (465 km) of heritage coastline (shingle and sandy beaches, limestone and red sand stone cliffs), totalling 67 beaches
Housing
The Exeter area has a good choice of housing. This includes Victorian terraces, 1930s semi-detached houses, modern houses on housing estates, flats and cottages. There should be something for everyone. The average house price in the area is £227,000. As in other parts of the UK, the size of the rental sector has grown recently.
Government inspectors have now approved Exeter’s plan to build 12,000 new homes by 2026. Plans too for a new town of about 8,500 new homes to the east of the city are progressing. This new town of Cranbrook will be part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point. All homes here will have energy-saving features. Around 40% of them will be ‘affordable’.
Exeter has a very good record for developing brownfield sites. Vacated barracks, court buildings, and hospitals have all become attractive housing in recent years.
Education
Exeter has:
- 25 primary schools
- 5 secondary schools
- 3 special schools
- 4 pupil referral units
- Exeter College (major tertiary college)
- University of Exeter
- Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry
There are several independent schools including Exeter School, St Margaret's, Maynard's, Bramdean and St Wilfrid's. Exeter also has good coverage in tuition in English as a Foreign Language.
Exeter secondary schools are Isca College, St James School, West Exe Technology College, St Peter's Church of England School and St Luke's School. These schools were rebuilt in 2008/9 and all have subject specialisms. This works well with business, for example, St Luke's Sports and Science College, carries out joint projects on climate change with its near neighbour, the Met Office.
Exeter is also home to the University of Exeter, and the Peninsula School of Medicine and Dentistry. The latter was the first dentistry school built in the UK in 40 years.
Culture
Exeter has a rich literary history. The Exeter Book is kept in the vaults of Exeter Cathedral. This 10th century work is one of the most important manuscripts in Anglo-Saxon literature. Exeter is also the birth place of Richard Hooker, one of the country's most influential theologians.
Exeter has four theatres. The Northcott Theatre, on the University of Exeter's campus, has its own repertory company. The Barnfield Theatre, The New Theatre and The Bikeshed Theatre are all based in the city centre. The Exeter Corn Exchange and the Exeter Phoenix also put on live shows and host artists.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) re-opened in December 2011 following extensive renovation. This has improved the museum hugely. It will offer space to quality visiting exhibitions and a better museum experience. Spacex is an established modern art gallery.
Coldplay first performed in Exeter's Cavern as lead singer, Chris Martin, lived locally.
Recreational Activities
The city has numerous sports, cultural and community activities including Exeter Chiefs Rugby Club and Exeter City Football Club. The University of Exeter has outstanding sports facilities, some of which are open to members of the public. These, combined with sports and leisure centres, swimming pools, access to golfing, kayaking and rock climbing offer people excellent recreational options.
For those interested in horse riding, there are a range of stables in Exeter and its hinterland. Whilst those keen on cycling, will enjoy miles of connected cycle networks with easy access to off road biking too. The river and canal can be explored by bicycle, on foot or by boat.
There are 18 open-space play areas across the city, offering a variety of leisure activities, including tennis, basketball, skate boarding, bowling, and acres of space for ball games and picnics. There are also 26 Council allotment sites, providing around 1,300 plots.
Alternative Energy / Environmental Issues
The City Council has published a vision to transform Exeter into the green capital of the South West. The Authority supports a green approach to the environment:
- Management of 5 Valley Parks and other green areas which the public can enjoy
- Encourages alternative means to car travel through support for walking, cycling, and public transport.
- Facilitating increased rates of recycling
- Influencing local employers to green their operations and supply chain through the ‘Green Accord’
- Encouraging energy efficiency by enabling residents to check their property's heat loss on the thermal map on the Council's website
The Exeter area leads the way in addressing low carbon approaches. The recently completed Montgomery Primary School is the first zero carbon school in the country. The largest net zero carbon new development in the UK, at £25m, is being built in Cranbrook, east of Exeter, a district heating and biomass combined heat and power system.
Other
Tourists are attracted to Exeter by the warm climate, the scenery, our history, exciting cultural events, local food & drink and a great atmosphere. New workers in the city will appreciate these factors too.
Improved visitor facilities, including the Royal Albert Memorial Museum, should soon make Exeter an even more popular tourist destination. Visitor income is likely to increase by at least 5% in the next five years.
But the tourism industry accounts for just 7% of local businesses. Exeter is in a strong market position as the regional hub for investment, businesses, and skilled workers. Please check out the work at the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point. Look at what the University of Exeter is achieving. Realise why the Met Office chose Exeter. Find out what we can offer you.
