Councillor Mark Shayer (Cabinet Member for Finance and Economy) introduced the report and highlighted –

a)    Plymouth’s City Centre, much like city centres across the UK, was facing a number of challenges

, but Plymouth had been working on facing these challenges for some time and had delivered projects such as The Box and The Barcode;

b)    There were new projects underway or about to start including the refurbishment of the city centre, The Guildhall refurbishment, work at the Railway Station, with work in the pipeline to bring in new homes and other non-retail uses to the city centre;

c)    Plymouth’s City Centre, much like city centres across the UK, was facing a number of challenges.

d), but Plymouth had been working on facing these challenges for some time and had delivered projects such as The Box and The Barcode

e)    Future Projects included Hilton Garden Inn and apartments on The Hoe, a new health and wellbeing centre and new homes at Bath Street as well as £26.5 million invested in improving the public realm across the city centre with contractor Morgan Tyndall;

f)     Works on Old Town Street and New George Street were due for completion in July 2023 and other projects at Colin Campbell Court, Civic Square and Armada Way were due to commence by the end of 2022 and to complete in 2023/24;

g)    Work was continuing on the extensive High Street Heritage Action Zone.

Martin Ivatt (City Centre Regeneration Coordinator) added to the presentation of the report and highlighted –

h)    A portion of the Transforming Cities Fund would be used to improve the public realm at Colin Campbell Court with work due to commence in January 2023 and be completed by the end of March 2023;

i)     At £12.7 million, Armada Way was the largest public realm program within the Better Places Programme with a deadline of March 2024 after a year extension to the Transforming Cities Fund deadline;

j)     Improvements would include:

                      i.        Restoration of the Phoenix Fountain;

                     ii.        Creation of an Amphitheatre Space near the Copthorne Hotel;

                    iii.        Restoration of the ‘grand vista’ to the Hoe, the original aim for Armada Way which had been lost over previous years;

                    iv.        A stream that ran North to South utilising granite curbs already in place;

                     v.        Wildflower spaces;

                    vi.        Ping Pong Table and Pétanque playing areas;

                  vii.        A water-based play space with dancing jets;

                 viii.        Food and beverage outside spaces;

                   ix.        Restoration of the Sundial and modernisation of its setting;

                    x.        Replacement of broken slabs and opening up of tree pits to give trees space.

In response to questions it was explained that –

k)    Armada Way is the centrepiece of transformation and would act as a regeneration catalyst for plots either side of Armada Way more attractive as development space with development planned for the West End in relation to the Health and Wellbeing Hub;

l)     A compulsory purchase had been successfully made on some previously commercial properties on Western Approach in order to begin demolition in preparation for works at Colin Campbell Court;

m)  Department of Transport had been made aware that Senior Officers felt that the funding originally designated for Phase 2 of Frankfurt Gate funding would be better used to enhance cyclist and pedestrian movement at Colin Campbell Court, and this had been agreed;

n)    A consultation had taken place with businesses and the City Centre Company to inform them of plans around Christmas 2022 to reduce hoardings to widen pedestrian areas;

o)    Cycling links between Frankfurt Gate onto Devonport and St Budeaux Sustainable transport and cycling links had been adjusted to use the new plans for Colin Campbell Court;

p)    There was a cycle route included on the plans to run from North Cross, down Armada Way to Royal Parade with a mobility hub outside Mayflower House;

q)    The pedestrian and cycling routes would not be segregated but cycling route would be identified by a different colour;

r)    Approximately 20% of properties in the city centre were vacant and the team had been working with landlords to get vacant buildings back into use and reducing retail and diversifying uses;

s)     Analysis had not yet been completed on how the cost of living crisis could affect footfall in the city centre, but with mixed use it was hoped it would give people more reasons to visit and use the city centre, with new homes being built and the new Health and Wellbeing Hub looking to employ approximately 250 people and have 2000 daily visitors, it was hoped there would be an increase in footfall and night-time economy;

t)     The Council was a major landlord in the city centre and was looking after small businesses and encouraging people to shop local and understand food miles;

u)    No further legal expenditure would be incurred in relation to the CPO’s needed to deliver the Health and Wellbeing Hub;

v)    Technical design would look more closely at the cycle route and education would be carried out to encourage cyclists to stay on cycle paths as much as possible;

w)   Changes from retail to other uses are incremental, and the city centre area would not reduce in size, just the number of retail units within it;

x)    The works scheduled for Royal Parade were being looked at in technical design and works were due to start in early 2023 to make the area better for buses and pedestrians to use;

y)    Under Local Transport Note 120 it was stated that city centre environments were acceptable for non-segregated cycle routes providing they were appropriately delineated, but the plans were still in the technical design process;

z)    Global supply chain and inflation issues were of concern but the scheme was being closely tracked against the cost plan, which had a good degree of contingency built-in;

aa)  Different surfaces and rumble strips were being considered in the design of cycle paths along Armada Way to make it a safe shared space and the designs were at the beginning of a more detailed consultation phase which would provide an opportunity for redesign to adapt to concerns and issues;

bb) A survey had shown that Plymouth City Centre was one of the busiest in terms of footfall in the country;

cc)  Areas such as Royal William Yard and The Barbican are fantastic for the city, but present a challenge for the city centre as it provides multiple locations for investors;

dd) Works had been planned and funded in such a way to try and reduce the cost on local taxpayers.

The Committee recommended that -

1)    They be provided with a full report regarding the aborted start to the Old Town Street and New George Street project in due course;

2)    They be provided with a report on the Armada Way sustainable transport solutions design process and how it would be implemented;

3)    If any significant changes were made to the plans presented at the meeting, plans would be brought back to Committee for scrutiny.

Councillor David Salmon left the meeting at 6.42pm