Cabinet:

1. Noted the outcome of the “Let’s Talk Armada Way” October/November 2023 Consultation and Engagement Exercise as considered and set out in the report.

2. Agreed to The proposed changes to the Armada Way scheme in response to the “Let’s Talk Armada Way” Consultation and Engagement Exercise as set out in paragraph 10.1 of the report.

3. Agreed the response, set out in Section 12 of the report, to the recommendations arising from the Growth and Infrastructure Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding the Armada Way Scheme.

4. Approved the Armada Way final scheme design as summarised in paragraph 1.4 of the report and Appendix L.

5. Directed the Strategic Director for Place to take all necessary steps to confirm a final construction cost for the approved Armada Way design and to report back to a subsequent meeting of the Cabinet for approval.

6. Directed the Strategic Director for Place to establish a City Centre Public Realm Board, with representatives from relevant City Council departments and the City Centre Company, to coordinate and monitor all existing public realm revenue maintenance budgets and oversee new income-generating initiatives.

Councillor Tudor Evans OBE (Leader) proposed an additional recommendation to direct the Strategic Director for Place to make provision within the final capital cost of the Armada Way scheme for a time capsule to be placed in the scheme. This was agreed by the Cabinet.

Councillor Evans OBE (Leader of the Council) introduced the item and highlighted the following points:

a)    The vision for the city centre was for a vibrant, modern shopping area;

b)    The ambition was to reimagine the city centre, collaborating with national parties including Homes England, Historic England, the Environment Agency and others to bring forward one of the most ambitious regeneration programmes since the War to transform the city centre into a modern, vibrant and mixed use destination with a new community living at its heart;

c)    The Council had been well versed in developing long term strategic investment frameworks with funders over a decade.

d)    The Council had pioneered nationally significant work with the Local Enterprise Partnership, Arts Council England, National Lottery and the Transforming Cities Fund;

e)    The revival of the city centre had already begun and £1.1 billion of investment potential was in the pipeline with significant investments already been made;

f)     Plymouth City Council had invested millions of pounds to upgrade the outdated and tired public realm. This would encourage others to invest when the quality of plans had been seen;

g)    A consultation was published 17 October 2023;

h)    The new scheme would recapture the scale and grandeur of Armada Way, it would include more trees, greenery and a play village for families, it would help wildlife and nature, and it would be water smart and improve safety for all, especially women and girls. There would be more places to sit, to relax and eat. There would be more cycle paths and have plenty of pop-up spaces for retail, arts, culture and entertainment;

i)     The changes arising from the consultation and Scrutiny had made proposals stronger;

j)     City centres across the country were struggling and a credible response was required for Plymouth residents now and into the future;

k)    A suggestion from the local MP would be to have a time capsule and include what life was like in 2024 and the story of Armada Way.

Councillor Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture, Events and Communications) added:

l)     Various forms of engagement and the robust publicity plan which was developed had been set out in the Cabinet meeting of 5 February 2024 and ensured that as many people as possible were aware of the proposals and had an opportunity to have their say;

m)  The administration had endeavoured to ensure the Armada Way proposals had been consulted on in a thorough and transparent way using specialist external consultation and experts to do so;

n)    The administration looked at the feedback that was given in previous engagement exercises and whilst this was not a vote or referendum the administration wanted to present a bold new plan to revitalise Armada Way;

o)    Excited by the new scheme, it not only represented the administrations aspirations for enhancing the quality of the public realm in the city but to also have a truly transformed modern city centre;

p)    The play village would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 117