Councillor Evans (Leader of the Council) gave the following announcements:

a)    A letter had been written to Kevin Orford (Acting Chair of NHS Devon) to reflect on a meeting attended by him and Tracey Lee (Chief Executive) in September 2024, where concerns had been raised around unfair treatment of Plymouth in relation to funding in the Devon system;

b)    Plymouth had been under allocated for 10 years for NHS services and this had been recognised by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) who had taken steps to address it as there were health outcomes in Plymouth which were not good;

c)    The Devon Integrated Care Board (ICB) Fair Shares funding was agreed in October 2023 and left Plymouth 1.8% below the needs based funding assessment, meaning the underfunding was £10.3 million;

d)    The funding that had been agreed did not take into account the deprivation of Plymouth and did not reflect the inequality of health outcomes;

e)    The request to the Chair of NHS Devon was a proper board level review to consider a policy change to ensure equality and fairness in Plymouth;

f)     Local MPs had been included in the receipt of the letter;

g)    Plymouth were the first Freeport to have committed the £25 million capital allocation on job creation projects;

h)    The MHCLG reported that Plymouth’s annual audit was exemplary in terms of process and assurance;

i)     The Freeport was surrounded by theories, including the privatisation of Dartmoor. The Freeport was solely the building of industrial premises in Plymouth and the South Hams;

j)     Money was being allocated for Port improvements at Millbay, Oceansgate innovation barns, Beaumont Way industrial units at Langage Business Park, Princess Yachts and Cattewater Harbour Commissioners;

k)    A major milestone had been reached with the Guildhall refurbishment project as a major contractor had been appointed;

l)     The refurbished Guildhall would provide a city centre music venue, with investments in the interior sound and lighting;

m)  Refurbishments at Tinside had started and were part of the £10 million refurbishment programme. The programme also included the Mount Batten Centre, the Mount Batten Tower, the public realm around Mount Batten, the Garden Battery at Mount Edgcumbe and projects at Ernesettle Creek and Firestone Bay;

n)    PCC was working with the National Lottery, the Youth Investment Fund, and the Levelling Up Fund to develop Plymouth’s iconic assets and bring back underused, buildings. This would include a new Café Terrace even space and youth hub at Tinside, a bistro, changing facilities and entrance at the Mount Batten Centre, an enhanced public realm and waterfront walkway at the Mount Batten Peninsular, a new public pontoon, the Mount Batten Tower and Mount Edgcumbe Garden Battery access and interpretation improvements meaning they would be open to the public on a permanent basis;

o)    Over 300 young people had been involved in youth projects at Tinside;

p)    There would be improvement in facilities for wild swimmers at Firestone Bay and Community facilities at Ernesettle Creek;

q)    In October Plymouth would host the Marine Stewardship Conference (MSC_ annual conference at The Box. Plymouth had been chosen because of its commitment to the fishing industry;

r)    The MSC wanted to work with PCC on a number of fishing improvement projects in 2025;

s)     Plymouth had hosted Peter Denton (Homes England Chief Executive) and he would bring the whole Homes England Board to Plymouth in November;

t)     He had visited Matthew Pennycook (Minister of State for Housing and Planning) and secured a ministerial meeting for all three Plymouth MPs, himself and Tracey Lee (Chief Executive);

u)    Gareth Bradford (Lead for Crown Estates) had visited to discuss floating offshore wind and potential for Plymouth;

v)    Richard Davies (Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University) had visited Plymouth to discuss civic partnering from a university perspective;

w)   Thanks were given to the local construction companies who came together to aid those who had damage after the bomb was removed from Keyham. 18 local companies volunteered their time, materials and equipment to the value of £40,000.