Cabinet:

1. Approved the final construction cost for the approved Armada Way design as £29,892,665;

2. Recommended the Leader approves additions to the Capital Programme as set out in the report giving a maximum spend allocation of £29,892,665 to finance the construction of the approved Armada Way scheme;

3. Noted that to support the on-going maintenance of projects within the city centre for a period of five years starting in 2025/2026 that hard and soft landscaping maintenance be funded from previously identified capital approved resources already forming part of the Capital Programme;

4. Granted authority to the Service Director for Strategic Planning and Infrastructure to take all such action as necessary to implement the project including all subsequent design amendments (excluding amendments which impact on the retention of any existing trees or the approved translocation of trees), scheme approval submissions, procurement and contract awards associated with developing and delivering the Armada Way scheme through to construction and completion, in consultation with the relevant Cabinet Members;

5. Delegated to the Cabinet Member for Finance authority to make any decisions which impact on the retention of any existing trees, or the approved translocation of trees associated with developing and delivering the Armada Way scheme through to construction and completion.

Councillor Evans OBE (Leader of the Council) welcomed Paul Barnard (Service Director of Strategic Planning and Infrastructure) and Martin Ivatt (Regeneration and Placemaking Manager).

Councillor Evans OBE (Leader of the Council) introduced the item and provided the following update:

a)    Plymouth had been cited in the national press as a great place to live and work;

b)    The city centre was being reimagined as a modern, vibrant and mixed-use destination with new community living at its heart;

c)    It was important to remember the city centre was not just for visitors, but also for the residents who would use the city centre as their backyard;

d)    A visit by Sir Oliver Letwin, who was on the Homes England Board, was hosted on 21 August 2024. The visit included the railway station, Armada Way, the Hoe;

e)    The Homes England Board would be hosted in Plymouth in November;

f)     There were ambitious targets for house building within Plymouth and the city centre would be fundamental to achieving that target;

g)    The average city had 8500 people living in the city centre, whereas Plymouth only had 850 due to a post-war policy which moved people out of the city and into the suburbs;

h)    Plymouth was developing plans with a hope Partners would buy into the vision and make further investments;

Councillor Lowry (Cabinet Member for Finance) provided the following update:

i)     On 19 February 2024 the design of the Armada Way project was approved, and the Strategic Director for Place was instructed to take all necessary steps to confirm the final construction cost;

j)     Cabinet instructed the Strategic Director for Place to establish a City Centre Public Realm Board, which would coordinate and monitor all existing public realm revenue maintenance and oversee new incoming regeneration initiatives;

k)    Since February 2024, Officers and Specialist Independent Consultants had analysed the details in the documentation from the contractor and the bill of quantities;

l)     Trial pits and surveys had been undertaken to verify the costs and assess the risk to delivery;

m)  Total construction costs for the scheme had been verified at £29.8 million, two thirds of which was funded by external sources. The total cost to the tax payer was £11.2 million;

n)    Further grant funding would be applied for when it was available in an attempt to reduce the £11.2 million cost to the tax payer;

o)    Future projects for the city centre included Royal Parade and the District Heat Network Pilot;

p)    In order to aid operation and support existing businesses during ongoing development of Armada Way, there were five specific actions:

1. Subject to Cabinet agreement, a letter would be written to city centre businesses setting out the details of the programme;

2. A dedicated Armada Way Liaison Officer had been appointed who would be the single point of contact for all city centre businesses during the construction works and will be based in the Knowledge Hub on Armada Way;

3. Regular question and answer sessions would commence in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32