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After over 30 years of local government service and 15 years with Plymouth, Plymouth’s acting Head of Legal, Linda Torney had made the difficult decision to retire. Linda started her career at Humberside Council where she was part of a team dealing with Social Services, Education Employment and Leisure Services. Linda then moved to Devon County Council where she predominantly dealt with Highways matters, care proceedings and employment tribunals. She had also worked as part of the project team on the implementation of the Children Act 1989. From there Linda moved to Derby City Council and managed a team dealing with the full range of social services functions.

Linda has been with Plymouth City Council since 2006, and since 2018 took on the arduous task of being the acting head of legal and monitoring officer. Her advice over those years had been invaluable to not only officers but members alike across both parties, and her dedication to local government work is undisputed.

On behalf of the Cabinet and all members, Linda had been thanked and wished her all the best in her retirement.

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Plymouth Waterfront Partnership had launched its Business Plan for 2022 – 2027. PWP represented about 900 businesses located around the edge of the city’s Waterfront, from Mount Batten to Royal William Yard and Millbay, encompassing the Barbican, Bretonside, Sutton Harbour, Drakes Island and Plymouth Hoe.

The new business plan, set out a new ambitious vision for the Waterfront area: ‘Creating the Waterfront of Tomorrow, Today!’

There were four key, inter-related themes at the heart of the plan, which aligned with the wider city plans:

·         Transformational – supporting the physical aspects of the Waterfront, which included supporting the creation of the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park, working to connect neighbourhoods, and improving the resident and visitor experience.

·         Vibrant Tourist Destination – increasing visitor numbers and spend by working in partnership with Destination Plymouth and visitor

·         attractions, hosting events, supporting and growing cultural assets and the hospitality sector, and maximising marketing opportunities.

·         Environmental Excellence – as well as committing to the environmental sustainability of the Waterfront, ensuring it’s an attractive and welcoming place.

·         Business Voice – giving BID levy payers a collective voice, bringing the diverse local business community together and advocating for the area at a local, regional and national level.

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New Business Support Launched – The Leader announced that he had delivered on one of his manifesto commitments in launching a brand new business support service to help businesses and individuals impacted by COVID. There were four elements to the programme

The aim was to create 50 new jobs, 27 new social enterprises and support more than 140 individual businesses.

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Fish Quay – A new proposal had been developed to develop the entire fish quay to ensure it was fit for purpose for the next 25 years. The proposal would like to bid into the Governments new Fishing Infrastructure fund. To get this started the Leader called a fishing roundtable to bring the industry together around these plans. The Leader commented that ‘If we can get this going it will be totally transformational for the industry and Sutton Harbour’.

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Smart Sound – We had been working quietly on the 5G network which would be launched across the Sound in November this year. This UK and Europe first, will see a number of high tech businesses piloting a variety of new technologies in and around autonomy.

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Freeports – Progress had been fairly frenetic on Freeports over the summer as we developed our outline business case which would be submitted to Government in October ahead of the full business case in November. As part of the scheme we are developing plans to open up a major new phase of Oceansgate, support Princess Yachts next stage of growth as well as developing Langage Energy Park and Sherford.

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Major Schemes – The administration had been continuing to drive forward major developments including Brunel Plaza, The City Centre Health Hub, Civic Centre, our Direct Development programme, Derriford District Centre, the Quality Inn hotel site and the first electric charging station in Plymouth. The Leader hoped to be able to make an announcement on a new music venue for the city very soon.

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Songlines would open on 21^st October. This would be the Box’s biggest show to date and is the centre piece of the UK/Australia year of Culture. The show would be coming to Plymouth because of the 250^th anniversary of Captain Cook’s voyages from Plymouth to Australia and tells the Aboriginal story of the Seven Sisters. The show would feature 300 paintings from 100 artists along with ceramics, sculpture, installation and film. The show would be opened by the Australian High Commissioner and then go on to Paris and Berlin.

The Leader announced the following awards that Plymouth City Council had won and been shortlisted for: