Ikea and Exeter City Council confirm they are in "pre-planning talks" about city store
City council leaders have confirmed negotiations with Ikea are now at advanced stage but that the “complicated” nature of the proposal means an application may not be received for “a couple of months”.
A site near Sandy park is understood to have been identified and, if permission is granted, it is expected to create hundreds of jobs.
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IKEA
Ikea has been looking to create a store in Exeter for many years but, as the Echo revealed last year, it stepped up its efforts in 2012 and it has been in talks with Exeter City Council to secure the move.
Karime Hassan, Exeter City Council’s Strategic Director, said: “Finding a suitable site has been challenging and the council has to assess the impact of any store on the council’s planning policies which seek to protect the city centre.
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“The council is now in pre-planning talks with the company but the details are confidential. Any planning application will be subject to wide public consultation. There is a lot of work to be done in preparing a planning application to address the technical requirements.”
Ikea has confirmed it is working with Exeter City Council but could not comment further at this time.
Ikea was launched 70 years ago in a small farming village in Sweden. It has grown to become one of the biggest home furnishing retailers in the world with more than 150 stores in 29 countries. The company opened its first UK store in 1987.
3 Comments
by Jules_Marie
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 10:55PM
“Ikea don't do city centres, they always go out of town as their stores are of a certain size, the bus station site wouldn't be big enough.
There's never been a site big enough for them in the past, thats why they've never opened a store here”
by alexandra1970
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 1:20PM
“Quite right jamespotters let,s hope IKEA dont do a Wrigleys and go to Plymouth instead”
by Jamespotters
Wednesday, March 13 2013, 1:06PM
“Great news ikea coming to Exeter, but a real shame that the council refused Ikea pp in Exeter a few years ago. It would help boost the city centre trade, if instead of locating Ikea out of town, planning could be granted to build Ikea on the Paris street bus station site, instead of a swimming pool & small shops which would only bring in very little trade to the city centre
There is already a substantial council multi-storey car park closeby that seems to be under used and could easily be incorporated as part of any new Ikea development.
Ikea would be a powerful magnet for the city centre, and benefit many other shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants etc. However, if it is to be located out of town, then Ikea would do very little to boost trade in the city centre”