(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 Ms Watkin (Lord Mayor) made the following announcements:

a)    It was with great sadness that the Council noted the death of former judge William Taylor, who had been an Honorary Recorder of the City of Plymouth since 2004:

I.              Judge Taylor had earned the recognition, which followed immediately behind the role of Lord Mayor in order of civic importance;

II.            The Lord Mayor thanked him for a lifetime of service to the city and conveyed her condolences to his family.

b)    The Finance Department was celebrating two exceptional apprentices that made their mark at a prestigious local government Apprentice of The Year 2025 competition.

I.              Anya Stevens had been named runner up in the national competition whilst Lucy Gregory had reached the final stages, demonstrating the outstanding calibre of talent that was being developed within the Plymouth City Council apprenticeship program.

Councillor Evans OBE (Leader of the Council) made the following announcements.

a)    Councillor Evans OBE had the privilege of travelling to Leeds to lead the delegation to the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (REIIF).

I.              He referenced Plymouth’s bold ambition, future, potential and readiness for growth;

II.            Met investors, developers, government officials and partners from across the UK;

III.           Highlighted Plymouth’s strengths, such as marine defence, digital and clean energy;

IV.           Mentioned the importance of networking to build relationships and benefits for the city;

V.            Mentioned the importance of jobs, homes, innovation and opportunity.

b)    Councillor Evans OBE met with Homes England to discuss a plan to deliver up to 10,000 new homes;

c)    A letter from MHCLG was received at the end of May 2025 about the growth area proposals for local government reorganisation (LGR).

I.              Plymouth received constructive feedback from the government in May for the interim plan;

II.            The letter confirmed that flexibility existed around the rule of unitary authorities requiring a population of 500,000 and that they supported the Council’s approach;

III.           The letter confirmed that boundary changes to existing district boundaries were possible if there was strong justification;

IV.           This aligned with the proposal for the Council to be a continuing authority.

d)    The community conversation event, was a public engagement initiative involving a series of events, hosted by Cabinet members and officers.

I.              The sessions provided an opportunity for communities to share what made their area great, as well as, identifying challenges and to discuss future opportunities;

II.            For those unable to attend the events, there was an online survey available on the Council website until 09 July 2025.

e)    Councillor Evans OBE would be announcing engagement sessions for residents living within the current city boundary as he valued their voices from these communities.

I.              The proposal needed to truly reflect locals’ needs and aspirations;

II.            Those updates would be provided to the Councillors and the LGR team.

f)     The Associated British Ports (ABP) at Millbay held a formal opening at the end of May 2025 to showcase the £23 million upgrade to port facilities in Millbay. The investment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13