Exeter is set to welcome the return of shoppers, day trippers and staycationers after a long lockdown winter.
Monday April 12 marks the next stage of the lockdown easing road map allowing non-essential stores to re-open alongside outside service for cafes, bars and restaurants.
Hairdressers and beauticians will be welcoming clients again and holiday makers in self-catering accommodation are set to return.
Shops are getting ready to open their doors and the city is starting to once again come alive.
Hannah Finch met up with Clodagh Murphy, Chairman of Exeter Chamber of Commerce and Ann Hunter, Exeter BID manager to see the biggest differences shoppers will notice on the big return to the High Street next week.
Clodagh said: "What has been so lovely is seeing people in the shops again, getting ready to re-open, putting out new stock, cleaning and decorating. It's wonderful to see life returning," she said.
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But with people still advised to work from home - and many businesses looking to - the challenge will be enticing people to use the city again and see it with fresh eyes.
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Clodagh said: "We want to encourage people to re-engage with the city again. We are all creatures of habit but we would like people to explore the places that they may have forgotten about."
Elsewhere, building projects are continuing which will be a surprise for people who haven't ventured into the city for some months.
Here are some big changers happening in Exeter city centre and beyond.
1. St Sidwell's Point leisure centre and bus station has rocketed up
Construction of the £44million St Sidwell’s Point leisure complex at Paris Street has continued right through lockdown with the passivhaus complex set to open this summer.
For many who haven't returned to the city for the best part of a year, they will be surprised by how quickly the building has shot up in the time they've been away.
And the new glass fronted bus station is almost completed too.
The leisure centre will replace the ageing Pyramids indoor swimming pool and will have swimming pools with moveable floors, a 100 seat spectator seated area, 150 station fitness gym and two fitness studios, spa facilities, children’s soft play area, creche and cafe.
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The project is being built using the ultra-energy efficient Passivhaus standard and is designed to save up to 70% on annual energy costs.
2. Debenhams will not re-open
A flagship store in Exeter's Princesshay shopping centre, the future of Debenhams has been in question for some time. But in January, it was announced that . While the Boohoo Group Plc had signed an agreement to buy the Debenhams brand and website, it will not be operating any physical stores.
However, it will open briefly for a fire sale before closing for good on May 15.
But new plans to transform the site .
Montagu Evans LLP, on behalf of Purple Investment Management LLP, has that would see it ‘contribute to the vitality and economy of the city centre’.
Under new proposals, a four-screen cinema would be situated on the third floor of the building, with the applicants seeking other tenants for the ground, first and second floors of the Bedford Street premises.
A large foyer on the top floor would include a seating area and a bar, with a planning application stating that views to the city’s cathedral are a key consideration for an as yet unnamed cinema operator when selecting the site for a proposed operation in Exeter.
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3. What next for Topshop?
Topshop was among four Arcadia Group brands snapped up online clothing giant Asos in February.
The fast fashion retailer that caters for 20-something shoppers .
Asos has confirmed that it does not intend to keep any of the stores open - putting thousands of jobs at risk.
But Asos boss Nick Beighton hinted that it could keep Topshop’s flagship Oxford Circus store open.
But he said that the move is “not a priority” and that Asos is “not a store business”.
Exeter’s shopping areas are seeing change with the pandemic accelerating the shift to online retail. We are seeing a number of retail units across the city change from retail to food and drink, said Ann Hunter, Exeter BID Manager.
She said ‘ it is interesting to think what are our primary retail areas nowadays? If you look at Fore Street or Gandy Street both areas away from the main high street, well they are all full with creative independents will very few if any vacant units.’
4. New outdoor street market for Sidwell Street
Traders are working together and proposing a new outdoor market on Sidwell Street in June. The plan is to get the road buzzing until 8pm for residents on their way home from work.
And the vacant Peacocks store will become a creative hub hosting art and craft courses and workshops. The not for profit organisation has crowdfunded £30,000 to provide studio space for artists, a library, office space for local groups and charities and a dark room. It will also provide spaces for exhibitions, talks and teaching to take place.
5. Expect outdoor seating
Cafes and restaurants will be limited to service outdoors until May so Exeter City Council has allowed for more seating areas through the High Street. Ann explained: "Cafes and restaurants will be limited to takeaway and outdoor service until May so the city is hoping for more seating areas across the High Street to enable a really positive and safe experience."
6. The next chapter for House of Fraser
A piece of Exeter's history has been revealed in the transformation of the former House of Fraser into a boutique hotel. The building work has revealed the old signage for Colsons - a name established in the city during the 1700s, according to local history website The brand passed to Dingles in 1973 and became House of Fraser in 2007.
The site is set to be transformed into a , operated by InterContinental Hotels Group.
Wealth management firm Prydis in November 2019.
Prydis struck a franchise deal with IHG, which has 5,900 hotels in 100 countries, for its boutique brand Hotel Indigo to occupy the city centre building, which overlooks Exeter Cathedral.
IHG operates the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn brands, among many others, and already has the Holiday Inn Express in Exeter city centre.
7. The Ivy is coming to the city
The Ivy is recruiting for staff ahead of opening in Exeter after eyeing the city location for some years.
The brand is a spin-off from the famous celeb haunt The Ivy in West Street, London.
The restaurant will occupy the former Jack Wills store on the High Street, which closed for good in May when the brand was bought by The Frasers Group.
Troia (海角视频) Restaurants Ltd, who own The Ivy, applied for planning permission to turn the former Jack Wills into one of their restaurants in July 2020 with it finally getting approved in December 2020.
There are also plans for a bar in the premises and inside and outside dining - great during the summer months looking out over the Cathedral Green.
There will be space for 137 covers inside of the premises along with 52 outside.
A spokesman for the company said that the High Street location fitted the bill after a number of years searching for the right location.
The restaurant had earlier expressed interest in the High Street unit currently occupied by Waterstone's book store.
8. What's new on Cathedral Green?
While there is no further on-the-ground progress for the fire-ravaged site of the Royal Clarence Hotel, there is optimism for its future under new owner James Brent.
The Plymouth Argyle chairman and believes that the prime city hotel will have a bright future despite ongoing Covid-19 measures.
Elsewhere, the former Barbour shop has been taken over by growing natural beauty brand Apothespa which is relocating its shop and beauty rooms from Queen Street and is due to open in late Spring.
And the chain restaurant Ask has been replaced by No. 5, an independent restaurant owned by Linda and Charles Horner, the founders of No.3 in Topsham and popular Exeter gin bar, Crocketts.
The pair officially opened their fine dining restaurant at the Grade I listed building at Cathedral Green in December and will be serving outside from April 12.
9. John Lewis is still here
After the loss of both House of Fraser and Debenhams, John Lewis is Exeter's last remaining department store.
The retailer in March and Exeter was not one of them.
And a healthy High Street is about a mix of big brands and small independents, said Ann Hunter.
She said: "We need that mix to attract footfall and share the overall spend throughout the city centre."
10. The new Sandy Park hotel is racing ahead
A 40-tonne bridge has been craned in for the latest stage of the £39million build of the new hotel at the Exeter Chief's ground at Sandy Park.
The impressive glazed link bridge, which was designed by Exeter-based architects KTA, will be the permanent walkway that links Sandy Park’s Conference & Banqueting facility to that of the new 250-room Sandy Park Hotel, which is due to open in the late autumn of this year.
Construction of the, which began in January 2020, has been progressing as planned.
The new bridge being installed at the Sandy Park Hotel (Image: @apexscaffexe)
Coming under the worldwide Courtyard by Marriott brand, the basement of the four-star hotel will provide a fitness facility, while the reception level will house a cafeteria, bistro restaurant, business centre and conference facilities.
What do you think of the lockdown roadmap? Will you be heading into the city any time soon - let us know your views in the comments section below