10,000 new homes could come to Plymouth

Government officials attend cabinet meeting

Government agency Homes England wants to replicate its partnership with Plymouth across the country.

A £50 million revamp of the derelict Civic Centre is to be the centre of a project to regenerat the city centre and build 10,000 new homes.

Homes England looks likely to stump up nearly half the cash.

The homes will be delivered alongside a number of council-led projects already taking place including a community diagnostics centre at Colin Campbell Court and work on Armada Way, both costing around £30 million each.

Work will begin on the 14-storey Civic Centre tower later this year to provide a marine and green skills hub for City College Plymouth in the basement and first two floors, and 144 flats above which won’t be for students.

The college is expected to open the campus in September 2029, training up to 2,000 students a year and running 60 new courses. It wants to help create highly skilled workers and see wages rise in Plymouth, where the average salary is currently £4,000 below the national average.

Housebuilding will begin once sites have been acquired by the council and planning permission given, with areas of Armada Way, the West End and Millbay all on the wishlist for redevelopment.

The council wants to create a city centre on a scale like Manchester and Liverpool, where thousands of people live in the centre and enjoy its night-time economy and amenities. Fewer than 1,000 people live in the centre of Plymouth at the moment.

Officials from Homes England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government who attended a council cabinet meeting this week praised Plymouth’s ambition for the city centre.

Interim chief executive officer of Homes England Eamonn Boylan told councillors he was delighted to be involved in a partnership that included the council, City College, Babcock International and the Royal Navy.

Babcock’s Devonport facility, which refits submarines, needs to attract 5,500 employees over the next 10 years to sustain its core defence workforce, and a further 2,000 construction workers to deliver an infrastructure contract.

The government recognises Plymouth’s role in defence and that more homes are needed for workers.

Mr Boylan said: “The partnership between Plymouth City Council and your other partners and the agency (Homes England) is an exemplar that we want to see replicated across the country.”

He continued: “We need quality affordable housing that meet the needs of the community, homes for current residents and homes to accommodate the predicted growth. Together we can build a better future for Plymouth, one home at a time.”

Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) said he could not think of another time in the last 50 years when Plymouth had such an opportunity to “drive transformational change” and “to improve outcomes for our residents and with better homes”.

He said the city was at an “economic tipping point” with a £6 billion investment pipeline, which includes £4.5 billion for defence.

The council wants to create 1,000 new businesses, a 20 per cent increase in productivity, help 5,000 people into work, bring 50 buildings back into use and lift 3,000 people out of poverty.

“Chancellor Rachel Reeves mentioned Plymouth last week in the context of large-scale national defence, explaining how it will underpin economic growth locally and nationally, the important role we now play is on the record,” said Cllr Evans.

“This is just the beginning of realising our ambition for Plymouth. Plymouth’s time has well and truly come.”

Over the last two years, Homes England has provided funding to support Plymouth’s vision, and will acquire sites where progress has stalled, if necessary.

Cabinet members approved to acquire the freehold of the Civic Centre from developer Urban Splash for £1 and noted the funding package which includes more than £17 million of borrowing.

A £20 million grant from Homes England will be subject to the agency’s formal approval.