Armada Way: Multi-million pound scheme for Plymouth city centre approved
A multi-million scheme to regenerate Plymouth city centre has been approved.
The city council leader Tudor Evans announced the new plans to redevelop Armada Way, with hopes of making it 'the finest city centre' in the South West.
The project has been highly controversial from the outset - after more than 100 trees were felled at night in March last year to make way for a previous version of the regeneration plans, which were signed off by the former council leader, Conservative Richard Bingley.
These plans included cutting down the trees which were on the site and replacing them with "semi-mature" ones.
The Labour-run cabinet has now approved a new scheme, which includes hundreds of trees being planted, new cycle paths and a play village.
Watch as trees cut down under cover of darkness
Cabinet members gave full support for the final project, expected to cost in the region of £37 million and which has been subject to one of the biggest public consultations Plymouth has ever seen.
“We want it to be glorious and inspiring and something that excites people,” said Council leader Tudor Evans.
“Today we are plotting the course to be the finest city centre in the south west peninsula.”
Cabinet member for finance Mark Lowry called it “a do or die” moment.
“If we don’t do this, the investment and jobs won’t happen, our city centre will struggle and it’s already struggling more than many others commercial centres in our county.”
He said the message from the public and businesses was to just to “get on with it” but the work would be done in phases to cause the “minimum disruption” to trade.
Cllr Lowry added that the estimated costs were “the worse case scenario.”
Further work will now be done to establish the final cost of delivering the scheme and this will be discussed by cabinet members.
Meanwhile exploratory trial pits are currently being dug on Armada Way to get a more accurate picture of what is beneath the surface.
A ‘city centre public realm board’ will be set up involving cross-party membership, and quarterly reports on spending against the eventual budget will be presented to the cabinet member for finance.
An overall economic impact assessment will also be undertaken when the project finishes.
The city council says Armada Way, which will have more than 200 trees, a play village, cycle paths, water and wildlife features and ‘pop up’ performance spaces, will be the catalyst for its new vision of “a town within a city.”
It plans to build hundreds of new city centres homes with amenities on the doorstep which will attract investment and business.
Ten changes were made to the original scheme after feedback from the public and recommendations from a cross-party scrutiny panel, including improving cycleways and footpaths, and more green spaces and tree varieties to improve biodiversity.
The design also features more of the trees left standing following the mass night-time felling operation by the previous Conservative administration last year.
It was part of the Tories' regeneration project, but a high court injunction put a stop to it and a huge mess of felled trees blighted the heart of the city for weeks.
Cllr Evans said it had been a tough time for businesses and he didn’t want to “cause any more pain.”
A number of other projects were delayed, with hoardings along the main shopping throughfare over the Christmas period impacting footfall for shopkeepers.
The Armada Way scheme is expected to make the city safer, with enhanced CCTV and lighting.
Plans also include a sustainable drainage system to reduce pollution from storm overflows, solar panel canopies and a water bottle refilling station, plus recycling facilities.
Credit: Local Democracy reporter, Alison Stephenson