We call on the management of the Guildhall Shopping Centre and Exeter City Council to act urgently to prevent the closure of Little Exeter — a vital, non-profit community play space for children under seven.

Little Exeter is the only in-city play space of its kind in Exeter. It has had an enormously positive impact on families, children, and the wider city centre. Due to proposed rent increases, Little Exeter has now announced it will be forced to close — a decision that would be deeply damaging for Exeter as a whole.

As parents, carers, and residents who value what Little Exeter contributes to Exeter, we are concerned about the consequences of its loss for the city.

1. Closing Little Exeter will be bad for business — in the Guildhall and beyond
Little Exeter is a major driver of foot traffic into the city centre. Families from across Exeter and the surrounding area regularly travel in specifically to visit it.

It is common to see families with prams and young children moving through the Guildhall and surrounding streets — stopping for groceries at Tesco, shopping at Primark, visiting cafés, and supporting local retailers along the way. Little Exeter does not compete with neighbouring businesses; it actively supports them.

Removing one of the Guildhall’s strongest family attractions will reduce dwell time, lower footfall, and ultimately hurt the very businesses that rely on a lively, diverse city centre.

2. Forcing Little Exeter to close is anti-family — and contradicts Exeter’s stated values
Exeter regularly promotes itself as a family-friendly city and a desirable place to live and work. Yet there are remarkably few spaces in the city centre that are appropriate for young children, particularly those under seven.

Little Exeter is one of the very few safe, welcoming, and developmentally appropriate places where families can spend time together in the heart of the city. Its closure would make Exeter noticeably less accessible — and less welcoming — to families with young children.

A city that prices out its only in-city early-years play space sends a troubling message about whose presence is valued in the city centre.

3. Little Exeter plays a crucial role in community wellbeing and mental health
Little Exeter is far more than a play area.

It provides:

• Developmentally appropriate toys and activities that support early childhood learning
• Safe opportunities for children to socialise and build confidence
• A rare space for caregivers and children to strengthen bonds through shared play

Just as importantly, it is one of the few places in Exeter where parents and carers — especially those in the early years — can meet, talk, and build community. This kind of informal social connection is vital for parental mental health and helps combat isolation, stress, and burnout.

At a time when early-years support and community mental health are under increasing strain, closing Little Exeter would remove a proven, low-cost, high-impact community resource.

4. Closing Little Exeter will place unsustainable pressure on the nearby Family Garden play area

The small Family Garden play area located just outside Little Exeter in the Guildhall already serves a limited number of children and is not designed to absorb the volume of families who currently rely on Little Exeter. If Little Exeter closes, this space will be placed under intense strain, becoming overcrowded, overstimulating, and far noisier than it is now.

This outcome risks creating noise and disruption within the Guildhall.

Our request
We urge:

• The management of the Guildhall Shopping Centre to work with Little Exeter on a sustainable, community-minded solution that recognises its non-profit status and value to the city centre
• Exeter City Council to intervene, support, and advocate for the preservation of this essential non-profit space in the public interest

Little Exeter strengthens Exeter economically, socially, and emotionally. Allowing it to close would be a loss not just for families — but for the city as a whole.

Save Little Exeter. Keep Exeter a city for families.