(a)        To receive announcements from the Lord Mayor, Chief Executive, Service Director for Finance or Head of Legal Services;

(b)        To receive announcements from the Leader, Cabinet Members or Committee Chairs.

Councillor Tudor Evans OBE (The Leader of the Council) made the following announcements:

a)    There was a need to reflect that a year ago today, the then Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced their policies of which the repercussions were still being felt today. This had resulted in the lowest Government Bond Yields in decades, with many Plymouthians left struggling with soaring rents and mortgages. There was yet to be an apology from the Prime Minister, and the Labour Party were calling for her Resignation Honours List to not be proceeded with, as was within the current Prime Minister’s powers;

b)    On Friday, the Leader and Councillor Lugger had submitted Plymouth City Council’s round 2 submission to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the National Marine Park;

c)    The Plymouth Sound National Marine Park was an exciting project, and would become the UK’s 16th National Park, and the first National Marine Park anywhere in the UK. This was a significant moment for a maritime nation, equivalent to the creation of the first national park in the Peak District in 1952;

d)    The project was a £22m project, of which Plymouth City Council were asking the Lottery for £11.6m;

e)    Consultation had been undertaken with 10,000 people to develop the project, and an amazing partnership had been developed;

f)     The project was about celebrating Plymouth’s Heritage, and would focus on restoring neglected buildings across the foreshore at Mountbatten, Tinside and Mount Edgcumbe;

g)    The project would see the opening of 2 Napoleonic forts on a daily basis first for the first time;

h)    The project would work intensively with 30 schools, with a National Marine Park champion appointed in every school in the City;

i)     There would be a Nature Boost programme restoring mudflats, sea grass and estuaries to bring back wrays, seahorses, rare birds, fish, and a range of endangered species;

j)     The largest ever engagement programme would be initiated, reaching into Plymouth’s northern estates. This would enable people to get in on or under the water, as well as engage through the creation a digital park;

k)    People would be encouraged to explore jobs in the new Blue/Green economy, and the Council would work with partners to become Net Zero, as demonstrated through the recent announcement at Millbay;

l)     There was a ten year funded plan to ensure that the park was sustainable, and had proper governance;

m)  Funding had been ring-fenced, and the current project stage aimed to set out the detailed plans. All of the necessary permissions had been attained, and the match funding had been secured. Subject to the Lottery approving the plan, the next phase would begin in January, helping to place Plymouth on the map.

A video was played at this point demonstrating the National Marine Park Bid.

n)    The Leader thanked David Draffan (Service Director of Economic Development) for his leadership of the programme, as well as Elaine Hayes (CEO National Marine Park) Sharon Mercer (Head of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28