Armada Way makeover begins next month

No completion date confirmed

The long-awaited transformation of Armada Way in Plymouth which the council claims will be a “catalyst for change” is to start in less a month.

Plymouth City Council’s cabinet unanimously approved final costs for the £30 million project after making savings of £7 million.

It is understood to be one of the largest public space projects in the UK.

The cost to taxpayers will be £11.2 million and could reduce further through grant funding and developers contributions, cabinet members were told.

Work will begin on Tuesday 1 October in an area around the Copthorne Hotel,  with phase two starting in February. Phase three, which includes Cornwall Street and the Armada Dial will begin in next July.

Works to the piazza area (phase four) will be tied in with improvements to Royal Parade.

The scheme will cover an area the size of three football pitches and include a play village the size of five tennis courts, seating for 500 people, a new CCTV system, new lighting and more than 5,000 square metres of green space, similar to the size of the park on West Hoe.

There will be new six metre granite walkways and a cycle path of about a third of a mile.

It will be a venue for pop-up theatre, festivals and events during the day and night and create a cafe culture.

Councillors described it as a “do or die moment” for a city which had needed to invest in its main thoroughfare for at least 20 years.

Council leader Tudor Evans said they wanted to reimagine Plymouth as a “modern, vibrant and mixed use destination with a new community living at its heart”.

Much of the 5,000 homes planned over the next five years will be built in the city centre, which currently has just 850 residents, compared to 8,500 in other cities of a similar size.

He said it would be the backyard of many new developments and provide the first green space for residents who lived in the more deprived areas of the city centre.

The Armada Way works will include a sustainable drainage system,  substantially reducing surface water run-off which currently goes into the sewerage system.

City centre champion Cllr Mark Lowry (Lab, Southway) called the current Armada Way an “ugly duckling” and said this was a good value scheme to transform it.

A lot of work had gone into making sure the costs were “robust” including trial pits to get a picture of what lay beneath, he said.

“We have looked very carefully at the cost, and I am assured by the work we have done and making comparisons that this is value for money.

“I appreciate it is still a lot of money for the city, but we will invest wisely to the benefit existing businesses, in the hope we can attract new businesses and provide much needed housing in our city.”

Cllr Lowry said as a result of work in the Old Town Street and New George Street areas, companies were now coming to Plymouth to open businesses and he expected that to continue with the Armada Way scheme.

“It will be something we can be immensely proud of and be a catalyst for change.”

Much of the work will be paid for using government grants (Transforming Cities Fund and the Future High Streets Fund), contributions from developers, funding from the Climate Emergency Investment Fund, council borrowing and cash from the sale of surplus property.

The council has employed anArmada Way liaison officer as a point of contact for businesses during the construction as it acknowledged they had already suffered disruption from other works over a long period.

Nigel Godefroy, chair of the Plymouth City Centre company, a business improvement district (BID) which represents more than 500 business, said Armada Way gave visitors a poor first impression of a city centre in decline.

“That has to change,” he said. “This is a once in a generation opportunity to create a safe, welcoming and vibrant city centre. It’s so important we get this right. Quality public realm drives quality investment which drives value for us all.”

He referred to the regeneration of Sutton Harbour and praised the council for its “tenancy” to bring city centre projects to fruition.

Chairman of the Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce Stuart Elford said the long overdue investment would get Plymouth talked about for the right reasons, attract business and talent and university students.

“It’s more than just shopping, it will make this city a thriving place where people want to come for the city centre experience.”

And he added: “For too long Plymouth has died at night and we need it to be a vibrant place.”

He said that constant communication with businesses is vital to minimise disruption.

Cllr Sally Haydon (Lab, St Budeaux) said she welcomed the CCTV and enhanced lighting which addressed concerns about safety particularly around young women and girls.

Cllr Evans called it a defining project in the council’s history.