East Devon District Council's vision for green growth

East Devon is an area most widely known for its Jurassic coast and rolling hills but like many regions it has suffered setbacks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first half of 2020, East Devon lost more than 1,000 jobs, including the collapse of the airline Flybe, which was headquartered at Exeter Airport. Many of these jobs were high value, skilled roles but also included jobs in lower paid sectors.

The council is now striving to build a resilient and sustainable economy to promote prosperity in the district. This includes increasing the levels and quality of employment, and raising wage levels across East Devon.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has further reinforced the importance of the link between health and outside spaces. This recognition and a need to transition to net zero carbon means businesses see wellbeing and the environment as priorities. East Devon District Council has seized this challenge and is looking towards a clean and green future. The council is driving clean growth through collaboration with key partners including Devon County Council, to reduce carbon emissions and provide greener, healthier, more vibrant places to live and work.

East Devon District Council has been working in collaboration with Devon County Council, local education institutions as well as partners from the private sector and other public sector organisations to enable their collective growth ambitions for the area. This collaboration has also been important in driving their green recovery from the pandemic and has helped to bolster the local economy as well as create jobs and a skilled workforce for the future including in Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine sectors (STEMM) and green industries. These ambitions are reflected in a number of schemes being delivered by the council.

Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone

The council’s ambition to deliver clean growth is reflected through new developments in the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone. The Enterprise Zone was set up in 2017 and is strategically located close to Exeter, adjacent to vital roads, rail and air links and East Devon’s outstanding coast and countryside. The Enterprise Zone covers four major employment sites: Exeter Science Park, Power Park, Cranbrook town centre and Skypark. Skypark is a £210 million development managed through a partnership between St. Modwen, a property development company, and Devon County Council. All new developments at Skypark meet the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ benchmark.  This includes the new development of 35 high quality light industrial units at Skypark to meet demand for commercial space. The site also offers solar PV and EV charging points, covered bicycle storage and insulated panel technology. Skypark, is also home to E. ON Energy's district heating centre which supplies the District Heating Network for Skypark and East Devon’s newest town, Cranbrook, which started development in 2011 and is expected to grow to accommodate around 8,000 homes.

Exeter Science Park

Exeter Science Park is a partnership between Devon County, East Devon and Exeter City Councils alongside the University of Exeter.  Located just along the A30 from the Airport, it is home to a new £5 million grow-out space – the George Parker Bidder building.  This has been constructed to be net-zero carbon for operational energy and has an A+ energy performance rating and is BREEAM Excellent.  The 20,000 sqft, building is expected to provide accommodation for up to 100 jobs in STEMM sectors.

The main Science Park Centre is also home to University of Exeter’s Enterprise Zone, nurturing tech start-ups through the SETSquared partnership, a global business incubator and accelerator comprising six research-intensive universities: Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey and which provides business support for tomorrow’s flourishing businesses. This is supporting a number of new businesses that will be at the forefront of driving the transition to a net zero economy.  An example is Remit Zero, a start-up company developing a trailblazing product Cylo, an emission-free replacement for domestic, gas and oil-fired boilers, due to be launched in the UK in 2022.

The aviation sector and Exeter Airport

The impact of the loss of Flybe in the region mirrored wider challenges and setbacks facing the aviation industry nationally. This was alongside the global challenge for the industry to decarbonise.  A number of new initiatives have been pursued to support the development of Exeter Airport as a test bed for sustainable aviation. 

In May 2020, Devon County Council acquired the former Flybe Training Academy.  With support from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, this building was repurposed as the Future Skills Centre.  It is now operated on a long lease by Exeter College and offers training and education opportunities from the building, providing learners of all ages, skills and qualifications fit for the economy of the future. This includes for future-facing high-tech jobs in engineering, digital, construction and clean growth.  

In autumn 2020, Dublin Aerospace took on a long lease of hangars at Exeter Airport which were again formerly utilised by Flybe.  This enabled them to establish their first overseas subsidiary business, Exeter Aerospace, providing maintenance, repair, and overhaul services.

The services provided by Exeter Aerospace also enabled Loganair - a major airline which has picked up many of the Flybe domestic routes including Belfast, Edinburgh, Manchester, Norwich and Jersey – to maintain its aircraft at Exeter Airport. Through their carbon offset programme, Loganair, have been introducing sustainable aviation and hydrogen fuel, in addition to battery electric and hydrogen powered light aircraft, in incremental phases as technological advances allow.  Both Exeter Aerospace and Loganair are providing opportunities for learning new skills and providing highly skilled jobs locally, helping the East Devon economy bounce back. These highly skilled jobs help to create a workforce fit for the economy of the future.

In addition, in August 2021, a trial of hybrid-electric flights took off at Exeter Airport, as part of a successful bid to UK Research and Innovation’s £30 million Future Flight Challenge. Ampaire, a leader in electric aviation, is leading a consortium testing regional electric aviation transport. The consortium received £2.4M for its £5M 2ZERO programme (Towards Zero Emissions in Regional Aircraft Operations), to demonstrate hybrid-electric aircraft on regional routes in the southwest of the UK. The 2ZERO programme provides numerous opportunities for Exeter Airport as an important regional airport and this project puts the airport on the map as a forward-looking airport.

East Devon’s natural landscape and the link to wellbeing

The pandemic has reinforced peoples’ desire to connect with nature and the natural environment alongside a greater appreciation of the benefits that this brings for our health and wellbeing. Plans are in place for a major expansion of the green infrastructure offer in the district.  A masterplan has been developed for the new Clyst Valley Regional Park. This will be half the size of the city of Exeter, with ambitious plans for increased tree cover and new public green spaces linked with 80km of traffic-free trails.

The pandemic has witnessed a 150 per cent increase in cycling locally on the existing Exe Estuary Trail.  he new plans will help to accommodate this increased demand by opening up the new Clyst Valley Trail with the first sections opening in 2023.

In addition, on the southern edge of the Clyst Valley Park, a new health and wellbeing focussed working and living complex is also being developed to create a vibrant wellness community whilst retaining its historic character and charm. Winslade Park will offer new homes and leisure facilities as well as a boutique personal studio and health club. It is anticipated to generate around 2,000 sustainable employment opportunities.

In 2021, the district council worked with Devon County Council to develop a new ‘Vison for Clean Growth for the West of the District’ framework. This framework sets out eight core themes for transitioning to a net zero economy.

These are:

• Redefining how residents work and live well – adapting to developments in changes to work patterns by providing workspaces that seize the opportunities for hybrid working following the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A thriving innovation ecosystem – stimulating new public, private, and research partnerships to unlock clean growth through the active pursuit of Innovation.
• World class demonstrators in core technologies – sustainable Aviation, Greener Buildings, Green Finance & Innovation and Smart Grids.
• Zero-carbon place-making – ensuring that every home is designed to be zero carbon and to create a sustainable, net zero carbon community.
• Restoring nature connection – blurring the boundary between the built environment and natural landscape, enhancing the connections between people and nature.
• Powered by nature – be leaders in clean energy infrastructure.
• A place for creative minds – creating the conditions for success by developing and delivering tailored skills pathways.

Strengthening engagement and consultation with local partners and stakeholders including councils, education providers and private sector businesses will underpin the approach to delivering on this vision. This will also be key to identifying funding opportunities and investment proposals and setting out the short-term and long-term ambitions for the region.

• Long term commitment is required – both in terms of the vision and the ability to realise this.
• Public sector investment plays a key role in helping to share risk and to unlock private investment.
• The transition to a net zero economy is both an imperative and an opportunity.
• Local residents need to have access to relevant learning and training in order to benefit from this transition.

Anne Mountjoy, Marketing and Communications Officer, East Devon District Council

07816 220499

[email protected]