Exeter & East Devon Growth Point
Room 88, East Devon District Council
Knowle, Sidmouth
Devon, EX10 8HL
Tel: 01395 571744
Click here to contact us
As part of our vision to build sustainable communities in Exeter and East Devon, we aim to provide homes together with the opportunity for residents to gain skilled employment.
We recognise the need to retain the skills of local people who grew up in the West Country, whilst also providing employment opportunities for the many people who are predicted to want to settle in the region in the coming decades.
The Growth Point partners have made a commitment to the delivery of a number of strategic employment developments, many of them located in East Devon, just a short distance from Exeter, a city of regional significance.
Exeter's economy has grown dramatically in the last decade with 68,000 jobs in the city in 1998 rising to 86,000 jobs in 2004. Exeter's growth in jobs has been the third highest in the country.
Exeter has also established itself as a city with a strong base of science and knowledge. In the last 12 months the University of Exeter has consolidated its position as a major research University. The success of the University has played a key role in attracting international organisations to the City such as the Met Office, which relocated its headquarters and Operations Centre to Exeter in 2003.
This major step change in recent years means that there has been a large uptake of employment land. 
The proposed developments to east of the city in East Devon will accomodate much of this economic growth including a number of developments which will provide employment and training opportunities in the long term, as well as jobs in the construction industry during their build.
Although on the edge of the city, these developments are at the heart of the Growth Area and with proposed new communities at Cranbrook, Monkerton, Newcourt and South West Exeter potential new residents will be able to access these sites via the Growth Point's sustainable transport links.
Exeter Science Park, is being developed in partnership with The Met office,The University of Exeter, Exeter City Council and the South West RDA will offer extensive new facilities encouraging enterprise, science and research and development-related activity as well as offering high quality space for businesses ranging from start-ups to major corporate headquarters. The University's Innovation Centre is seen as a major contributor to creating a successful environment for the Science Park.
It is envisaged that the Science Park will feature a new business hotel, conferencing facilities and a central building providing business support and local services as well as offices for the Science Park Management Company.
Devon County Council has also signed a joint venture partnership with St Modwen to deliver 40 hectares of high quality business space called Skypark. This business district will provide 1.4 million sq ft of office and Industrial manufacturing space.
Exeter International Airport has expanded dramatically in the last decade and now serves over 50 destinations in 22 countries. They too have plans for further expansion with aspirations to make Exeter "the airport choice for the southwest". This will include the an increase in staff numbers to handle the extra passenger volume that growth will create.
Exeter International is also home to Flybe, Europe's largest regional budget airline which was recently granted outline planning permission for a new multi-million pound Training Academy and will support the significant number of staff already employed at Flybe's engineering facility at the airport. The Academy will be complemented by an adjoining 160 bedroom hotel.