National Marine Park second bid

Ambitious waterfront project could be started next year

Work on an ambitious project to create the UK’s first National Marine Park (NMP) in Plymouth and reconnect the people of the city with the sea could start next year if a ‘delivery stage’ £9-million application to the Heritage Lottery Fund is successful.

Plymouth City Council is submitting a bid for the second stage funding in September for its ‘park in the sea’ and will know by the end of the year if it gets the go ahead.

The National Marine Park Horizons Project is expected to bring environmental, heritage and economic benefits and open up accessibility to some of its key waterside gems which have been ‘under loved’ over the years including Mount Batten Battery. Tinside will be another ‘hub’ with a new terrace where people can enjoy refreshments, as will Mount Edgcumbe where visitors will be able to learn about Plymouth Sound’s history.

Development stage funding was granted in July 2021 to engage residents and get them on board with the concept. Council leader  Tudor Evans (Labour, Ham) told the council’s growth and infrastructure overview and scrutiny committee this week that it had been a big success.

“We have spent the time since getting the first funding award testing our ideas,” he said. “We have engaged with 10,000 people, held 42 community events, inspired 7,000 school children at 27 schools and reached millions more through our online platforms. We have held archaeological events and volunteer programmes and we have learned that the people of Plymouth really like and believe in the concept of the National Marine Park, which is music to my ears.

“If we can reconnect people to the sea they will really care about it and change their view – this is the essence of what we are trying to do. Marine citizenship is a birthright, we must remove the barriers …. it’s going to be awesome.”

The project will include citywide swim and ’have a go’ programmes, work with schools including a ‘teach the teacher scheme’, a major NMP festival, outreach engagement programme, heritage interpretation across the waterfront, a 21st century twist to Mount Edgcumbe and Mount Batten, the latter of which will have a £5.3 million revamp to its tower, pontoon, changing rooms and public realm, and five large scale digital immersive events.

Head of environmental planning Kat Deeney said: “People will be able to see what is under the water without getting wet. We will be able to build a bank of digital assets we can use in different places and spaces. Not only will we be able to put content out there but other groups can too. We hope this will create lots of momentum for the project.”

David Draffan, Plymouth City Council’s service director for economic development said Mount Batten Battery was the most amazing structure inside and people would be able to access the tower for the first time.

“The battery inside is like something out of the Da Vinci Code,” he said. “Instead of spending money on some projects landing from Mars we are bringing the gems that have not been loved enough back to life.”

The project will also focus on getting schools and people from areas of the city like the north and east which have been under-represented in the past engaged in the waterfront activities and schemes.

Kat Deeney said that volunteering and club activities would provide something for the young people and engage them in heritage and nature and nurture a love of the sea.

“We will provide extra resource to run activities which give adrenaline to people but not in a way that causes disturbance,” she said.

Cllr Jeremy Goslin (Labour, Peverell) said this is a really exciting project and he had enjoyed the events so far, but he is concerned about the quality of the bathing water.

“I’m all for this, but one of the largest events recently in the Sound was Surfers Against Sewage complaining about water quality. It is very nice having the NMP but not so nice if it’s full of effluent.”

Leader Tudor Evans assured councillors he would not “pussyfoot” around South West Water to make sure water quality became a higher priority, with this project putting a shining light on the Sound.