(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.

The Lord Mayor made the following announcements:

a)    It had been a year since Russia escalated their illegal invasion of Ukraine and it was painful to see the devastation and  loss that people continue to suffer as a result of the attack on their country and it was important to continue to stand with the people of Ukraine;

                      i.        Over 12 months, Plymouth has welcomed over 180 Ukrainian people with open arms;

                     ii.        The Council would continue to offer support in weeks and months ahead, working in partnership to help people access education, jobs and local services;

                    iii.        Ukraine had enjoyed freedom and democracy for decades and The Council could not and would not look away and expressed its collective message of hope;

                    iv.        A minutes silence and quiet reflection had been held on Friday 24 February 2023;

b)    With great sadness, reported to Council;

                      i.        The death of former Lord Mayor Ralph Morrell who had been elected in Jun 1961 and served for over 30 years;

                     ii.        The sad passing of former councillor Derek Ackland who was elected to Plymouth City Council from 1982-1987;

                    iii.        The Council expressed heartfelt condolences to the families and a minutes silence was held in memory.

Councillor Jonathan Drean (Cabinet Member for Transport) made the following announcements:

a)    Platinum Way, part of the Forder Valley link road project, would open later that evening on 27 February 2023 as the final part of the scheme had been completed by Persimmon Homes with the aim of reducing journey times to and from key locations;

                      i.        The project had been achieved despite global pressures;

                     ii.        Expressed thanks to local residents and commuters for their patience;

                    iii.        Thanked the Highways and Planning teams, as well as the main contractor for the project, Balfour Beatty and their partners;

                    iv.        The project had been completed with a workforce of who 85% lived in a Plymouth postcode;

                     v.        455 weeks of training had been provided for students through apprenticeships and NVQ’s;

                    vi.        14,5000 trees had been planted and new bird boxes had been installed;

                  vii.        The stream that runs underneath the roads had been completed with otter shelves to allow wildlife to cross in free flowing water;

                 viii.        There were Wildlife Ponds and retention ponds, adding to resilience against the risk of flooding;

                   ix.        Additional capacity had been created at Leigham Roundabout.

(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.

The Lord Mayor made the following announcements:

Councillor Kelly, Leader of the Council, made the following announcements: