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with regards to the war in Ukraine it was highlighted that this terrible attack upon a sovereign nation imperilled the peace and security that Europe had enjoyed over the last 77 years, and was leading to a humanitarian crisis the extent of which was yet to fully unfold. Plymouth was no stranger to the attacks of a foreign aggressor and many of the city’s citizens may still recall spending nights in air raid shelters. The resilience displayed by the British public then, was clearly on display in Ukraine today as the Ukrainian Army and its Citizens fight on the edge of Western Democracies. Democratic values were to be protected and respected, which was why Plymouth stood in solidarity with Ukraine. Members were asked to join the Lord Mayor for a moment of reflection for the 210 civilians who had so far lost their lives in the conflict;

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it was with great sadness that the Lord Mayor had to report the death of Alderman Bray. Alderman Bray was elected to the City Council for the Eggbuckland Ward in May 1991 until 2000 and again in 2003 to 2007. During this time he served on various committees, including: Client Services Panel, Employment and Economic Development, Licensing, Hospitality and Twinning, Plymouth Citybus Board and the Theatre Royal Board. He was also the Chair of the Planning Committee. Members were asked to join the Lord Mayor for a one minute silence in memory of Alderman Bray.

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with regards to the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport; the designation of the Freeport by Government had been a significant vote of confidence in the city and the partnership established. Since the Chancellor announced Plymouth as one of 8 successful bids Plymouth had submitted the outline business case and responded to any concerns raised by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The next stage was to work to the deadline of 22 April to submit the full business case whilst simultaneously setting up a Customs Site and progressing official tax site designations. The Freeport will capitalise on the power of our marine, space and defence economies as well as strengthening public and private sector partnerships. The Plymouth and South Devon Freeport would facilitate essential infrastructure works in the city as well as accelerate a regional bounce back from the pandemic and help grow the local economy;

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there was a 12 month engagement plan with lots of exciting activities lined up for everyone in Plymouth to enjoy and to get involved in shaping the National Marine Park’s future. It was starting on the first weekend in April with an open event at the National Marine Aquarium, which was a free event for Plymouth residents. It was so important that everyone in Plymouth had the chance to get involved and have their say about what the park meant to them, we want to ensure that everyone can enjoy the significant benefits that being on, in, under and next to the water provided;

Members were advised that Elaine Hayes the UK’s First Interim CEO of the UKs first National Marine Park started this week; well wishes for her in her new role;

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an overview on the latest round of ARG Grants was provided; the demand and uptake had been lower than initially envisioned. The team had done a fantastic job so far in contacting and following up with businesses to offer advice and support, and the Waterfront Partnership ran a roadshow on the Barbican to generate awareness and encourage businesses to apply. Work had been done to make sure that those businesses who were impacted by the Omicron variant received the aid they were entitled to;

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the Leader wanted to add his voice to those standing in solidarity with all Ukrainian people, and in condemnation of the Russian invasion of that sovereign country.  The Ukrainian flag continued to fly outside the Guildhall next to the Union flag to demonstrate support for that nation and its people.

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all hardware been delivered, initial training completed and on-street trials undertaken for the new inspection technology ‘Visala’. The project was developed in partnership with Delt, Visala and the Plymouth Highways  and was designed to make the inspection process more efficient and provide additional data to drive interventions across the city;

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the development of the new CCTV centre was ongoing and was designed to develop a more future proof system, funded through transforming cities fund;

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engagement with the local community in Keyham had taken place and locations had been identified that would benefit from additional lighting and the installation of CCTV cameras – delivery of the project was due to be completed by the end of March 2022.