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

a)    Plymouth was one of the few cities in the country to renew their bids and vision;

b)    Plymouth had been the second city in the UK to adopt a business improvement district when they had first been introduced in 2001;

c)    Importance of diversification of the city centre;

d)    The city had had a remarkable recovery from the COVID19 pandemic;

e)    The success of The Barcode and Theatre Royal Plymouth in driving footfall in the city centre;

f)     The health hub at Colin Campbell Court was expected to bring in 990,000 people annually, some of whom would shop in the city centre;

g)    Plymouth University drove forward diversity, food business and ancillary and support services in the heart of the city, and had invested significantly in the Brunel Plaza development;

h)    Investment in the Civic Centre was investment in blue and green skills, but would also increase footfall in the city centre;

i)     Investment in the Guildhall as a new music and entertainment venue in the city centre;

j)     Investment in the public realm, including the Civic Square;

k)    Investment in Plymouth Market and it’s diverse cooked food offering;

l)     Several department store buildings which had been left empty were now, retail, residential and hotels;

m)  5,500 homes were to be provided in and around the city centre in partnership with Homes England;

n)    A 30% increase in visitor spend, and a 20% increase in number of visitors, was ambitious but achievable.

Nigel Godefroy (Chair, City Centre Company) and Steve Hughes (Chief Executive, City Centre Company) added:

o)    The partnership between the Plymouth City Centre Company and Plymouth City Council had been formed 20 years ago;

p)    The City Centre Company represented over 500 companies, and worked to provide a secure, safe and clean city centre and to ensure the ongoing viability of individual businesses and the City Centre as a whole;

q)    Diversification of Plymouth City Centre;

r)    A successful city centre was a sign of the confidence and success of a city;

s)     Congratulated and thanked Plymouth City Council for its ongoing commitment to the city centre;

t)     Lots of new businesses were opening up in the city centre;

u)    Ambition to deliver a different kind of city centre that was vibrant and alive, during the day and night, and all year round;

v)    Partnership working was successful and key to the future of the city centre;

w)   Important to change perceptions, increase visitor and local spend, and create an experience for visitors to the area;

x)    The plan was in a consultation phase and any feedback from the panel was welcome;

y)    Main aim was to position Plymouth city centre as the major retail, visitor and leisure destination on the South West Peninsula and as a great place to live, work and study;

z)    The new plan would be bold and ambitious and reflect the ambitions of the Council;

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