Councillor Laing (Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care, Culture and Communications) gave the following update on The 2026 Fostering Summit;

a)    It brought together carers, staff, partners and the wider fostering community, providing an important space to reflect on progress, feedback and priorities, with lived experience playing a central role;

b)    Thanks were expressed for Dartmoor Zoo for hosting and supporting the event;

c)    Strong praise was received for improvements and support to foster carers, alongside constructive challenge on areas that required further development;

d)    Key achievements included:

                      i.        Successful transitions of children from residential care into in?house fostering;

                     ii.        Establishment of four Mockingbird constellations, strengthening peer support networks;

                    iii.        Expansion of social events for carers and families;

                    iv.        Positive feedback on the new financial support package and council tax refund for carers;

                     v.        For the first time, Plymouth now had more in?house foster carers than independent fostering agency carers;

e)    Themes raised by carers included training access, support for complex needs, and improved communication with partner agencies;

f)     A full report on actions and next steps would be submitted to the Corporate Parenting Board.

Other announcements included:

g)    Submission to the UK City of Culture 2029 competition, made jointly by Plymouth Culture and The Box after extensive engagement with more than 1,000 residents and stakeholders;

h)    Significant public interest in the Beryl Cook exhibition at The Box, with:

                      i.        25,975 tickets booked to date (exhibition free but ticketed);

                     ii.        £14,000 raised in donations, with 12% of people visiting making a donation;

                    iii.        National media coverage reaching 16 million people;

                    iv.        83% of visitors were first?time online bookers;

                     v.        842 catalogues had been sold;

                    vi.        Visitors to the exhibition were from across the country;

i)     Opening of the Journeys with Mai exhibition in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery at The Box;

j)     Appointment of The Box as Museum in Residence at 10 Downing Street, with Plymouth artworks displayed throughout 2026;

k)    Preview openings of the refurbished Efford and Honicknowle Youth Centres, funded through significant capital investment;

                      i.        New facilities included music rooms, AV (Audio Visual) suites, gaming spaces, and high?quality creative environments;

                     ii.        Expressed pride at the transformation, emphasising Plymouth’s commitment to delivering exceptional youth facilities.

Councillor Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Co?operative Development and Communities) made the following announcements regarding a recent Sports Ground Safety Authority (SGSA) audit of the Council’s regulatory work at Home Park, covering football matches and major stadium concerts;

l)     The audit  had assessed nine areas of governance, operational practice and safety management;

m)  Key strengths identified included:

                      i.        Strong safety culture and leadership;

                     ii.        Effective Safety Advisory Group governance;

                    iii.        Robust safety certification processes;

                    iv.        Proactive enforcement practices;

                     v.        Strong professional expertise and training;

                    vi.        Improved capacity and resilience within the service;

n)    The Council achieved a score of 95 out of 100, reflecting high confidence in its statutory safety performance;

o)    The work of officers Victoria Stubbs (Registered Building Inspector) and Rosie Starr (Sustainable Transport Manager) were specifically commended within the report and he added thanks to Will Tomkins (Environmental Health and Trading Standards Officer), Graham Hooper (Senior Intelligence and Licensing Officer), Katherine O’Connor (Head of Food Safety and Miscellaneous Licensing) and Helen Collingbourne (Digital and Graphics Planning Technician);

p)    Cross?department collaboration, involving Environmental Protection, Digital Services and Transport, was highlighted as integral.

He added the following with regards to the St Budeaux Toilets project:

q)    A solution had been identified for the replacement toilet block following complex challenges involving power supply, a damaged septic tank, antisocial behaviour and capital costs;

r)    A planning application had been submitted for a single?unit modular toilet, expanding provision beyond the current disabled-only access;

s)     Subject to planning approval, demolition and installation of new power/sewage connections would take place, followed by installation of the new unit later in the year;

t)     Expected timeframe for the utility works, dependent on National Grid, was approximately 12 weeks;

u)    Councillor Penberthy praised Councillor Haydon for her persistent advocacy on behalf of residents.

He then provided an update on behalf of Councillor Stephens (Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport) regarding the Royal Parade Transport Scheme:

v)    Severe weather had delayed resurfacing, though significant progress continued;

w)   All bus shelters had been installed, glazed, and had surrounding paving completed;

x)    Road-preparation works had progressed where weather permitted;

y)    Additional bus stops were now allocated in partnership with operators, with service improvements anticipated;

z)    Bus stops would open on Monday 23 February 2026, two months ahead of schedule, and within budget;

aa)  If resurfacing completed by 20 February 2026, the eastbound bus lane would reopen on the 21 February 2026;

bb) The contractor’s compound would be removed from Courtenay Street car park by 20 February 2026;

cc)  Public engagement teams would provide on?street information and leaflets for four weeks;

dd) The temporary shelter at Derry’s Cross would be relocated to Poole Farm to support youth activities;

ee) Consideration was being given to retaining benches currently in storage for future use at bus/coach stops.