(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)    Congratulated the Plymouth Green Estate Management Solutions Team (Gems) for winning the ‘Best Workforce Initiative Award’ at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Annual Charity Awards;

b)    Congratulated Plymouth Grid, a Kickstart Apprentie Scheme the Council is in partnership with RIO and The National Trust on, which won the ‘Promoting Diversity Inclusion Award’ at the Kickstart Awards;

c)    Both would be recognised at the Staff Star Awards;

Councillor Mark Shayer (Acting Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Economy) made the following announcements:-

d)    Highlighted the achievements of this administration in the municipal year 2022/23, which were significant achievements and improvements for the city:-

                      i.        £21 million inward investment in sport, the biggest investment in sport since the Life Centre;

                     ii.        Timeout had rated Plymouth as one of the 14 most underrated destinations on the globe with a focus on The Box, food and The Lido with articles in the Telegraph, Daily Mirror and Daily Mail;

                    iii.        The Box had received national coverage for its Spring Arts program;

                    iv.        Designation of the UK’s first Freeport and securing the first tenant;

                     v.        The opening of the Smart Sound control room and 5G Network in The Sound;

                    vi.        Added Manufacturing facilities in Plymouth Science Park;

                  vii.        The launch of Plymouth Charter, promoting fairer and greener businesses;

                 viii.        Urban Splash start work at the previous Civic Centre;

                   ix.        Completion of the Melville building at Royal William Yard;

                    x.         Major land deals including a new M&S Food Hall at Derriford, Hilton Hotel on the Hoe and the appointment of the UK’s CEO of the first National Marine Park;

                   xi.        Engagement with 2.3 million people in the National Marine Park;

                  xii.        Production of the master plan for Mill Bay;

                 xiii.        Completion of the direct development at Barrack Courts;

Councillor Pat Patel (Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Culture, Leisure & Sport) made the following announcements:-

e)    The King’s coronation in May 2023 would see people across the UK and Commonwealth come together to celebrate and Plymouth residents would be able to celebrate over the weekend by hosting street parties, community events in parks (fees for which will be waived) and opportunities to volunteer and special services at St Andrew’s Church. There would also be free public screening of the coronation and the Windsor concert on the Barbican thanks to funding from DCMS and the UK Government, Plymouth was one of only 35 cities to receive funding and Eurovision would be broadcast from the same funding:

f)     There had been a £21 million investment in Brickfields in partnership with Argyle Community Trust and Devonport communities;

Councillor Charlotte Carlyle (Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Children and Young People):-

g)    15 high-calibre, experienced social works had been recruited with four having arrived in March and the other 11 due to arrive in April as part of overseas recruitment who will be supported through an induction plan to help make Plymouth their home;

h)     The Care Leavers Covenant had been launched, designed to ensure the Council, and the wider city, offer a wide range of experiences and opportunities to care experienced young people, and was gathering momentum with support from employers such as CityBus and Princess Yachts;

i)     Procurement was about to commence for additional special needs school places;

j)     Ofsted inspections had taken place across the city during the year and the overall quality of education was improving with 77% of schools in the city now ranked good or outstanding;

k)    The number of internships for young people with EHCP’s was due to have tripled by April 2023 to support young people as they move into adulthood;

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

l)     An additional £516,000 have been received from the Department of Trade for pothole remedial work;

m)  Further trials of the velocity pothole technology would possibly happen in the Spring and Summer, as previous trials had been affected by bad weather;

n)    Beryl Bikes had launched the previous week and 900 journeys had been taken over 2800km cycled which averaged at 2.2. rides per bike and 500 new users;

o)    Following public consultation on introducing charges at various car parks around the city, plans had been altered until more information was received;

Councillor Rebecca Smith (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Homes and Communities) gave the following announcements:-

p)    Plymouth City Council had been successful in its bid for a Government Grant of almost £7.1million to make significant energy improvements to social housing in Plymouth with additional funds added in partnership with LiveWest and Plymouth Community Homes;

q)    There were over 70 warm spaces over Winter 2022/23 and a number are continuing as community places as some residents attended due to loneliness;

r)    Plymouth City Council had committed £688,000 of grant funding from the Plan For Homes Program towards the cost of acquiring 86 three-bedroom homes at Hillcrest Close in Plymouth which will be acquired by Plymouth Community Homes from the current owners meaning they will be able to be refurbished and offered back to the community in a mixture of affordable homes to rent and some shared ownership properties. The project will also enable families living there to continue;

Councillor Bill Wakeham (Cabinet Member for Environment and Street Scene) gave the following announcements:-

s)     £50,000 had been secured for fly tipping intervention from DEFRA, which would be used to target rear lane offences, which made up the majority of fly tipping incidents in Plymouth;

Councillor Dr John Mahony (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care) made the following announcements:-

t)     Whilst the position remained pressured at Derriford Hospotal, the number of individuals who were ready to leave hospital, but awaiting social care within the Plymouth City Council area, were consistently meeting the nationally agreed targets;

u)    Domicillary Care waiting lists had seen increases since the COVID19 pandemic, and although the numbers remain high, they have been steadily reducing and are close to pre COVID19 pandemic levels;

v)    Work on the replacement of the services for respite and day services for people with learning disabilities that had been provided by Colwell Lodge and The Vines through a new care facilities on the edge of Central Park, had begun;

Councillor Mrs Mary Aspinall (Chair of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee) made the following announcement:-

w)   A motion on notice was passed at City Council in January 2023 on defibrillators that went to a meeting of the Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee soon after, and the Committee had discussed the matter but wanted to seek more information and it was due to be looked at again by the Committee at its first meeting in the municipal year 2023/24.