Armada Way plans expected to cost nearly £37 million

It's after more than a hundred trees were felled

An ambitious plan for Plymouth’s Armada way including more than 200 trees, a play village, a sustainable drainage system, cycle paths, performance ‘pop up’ spaces, seating, wildlife features, water features and eating areas, is expected to cost around £37 million,

The idea, supported by city councillors, will be decided by the council’s cabinet next month, with leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) saying the public wants them to get on with it.

The scheme is expected to play “a pivotal role” in supporting new investment.

Cllr Jemima Laing (Lab, Stoke) said the council is thinking big and that the cost is on a par with works in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. She said: “If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for Plymouth.”

A total of 1,503 people took part in the six-week “Let’s Talk Armada Way” consultation, 96 of whom live in the Plymouth area. There were detailed submissions by local groups and organisations, workshops with under-represented groups and interviews with key stakeholders.

As a result, 10 changes were made to the original proposal, including the retention of two trees earmarked for relocation, which means that over three quarters of the existing trees will remain.

The amount of green space has increased, with further changes to cycle paths so they don’t conflict with pedestrians, improved bike storage, included a drinking water station and a defibrillator.

Additional recommendations such as recycling bins alongside litter bins, outdoor gym equipment for adults and pensioners, and plaques including braille at the foot of trees, have been put forward by the council’s growth and infrastructure overview and scrutiny panel which has supported the plans.

The cabinet will make a decision on the final design next month.

Twenty-nine species of trees will provide shelter for birds and other wildlife, along with bug hotels and bird boxes. The council says it has “poured over” the consultation report and taken on board comments from environmentalists and local tree groups, as well as members of the public.

The Plymouth City Centre company representing businesses in Armada Way said the investment is “vital” for the city city and it recognises the “value, importance and utmost urgency.”

It said businesses in the area had suffered losses as a result of the felled tree saga last March.

The Conservative administration chopped down over 110 trees in the middle of the night as part of a regeneration project for Armada Way, but it caused outrage. Only 19 trees were left standing when a High Court injunction was slapped on the council to halt work.

The actions led to the resignation of the then Conservative leader Richard Bingley and the regeneration project was scrapped. The outcome of a judicial review over the decision to remove the trees is expected soon.

Felled trees causing an unslighty entrance to Plymouth’s shops remained on site for weeks.

But with £14 million still on the table for the project under the government’s ‘Transforming Cities Fund’, Plymouth’s new Labour administration held a consultation on new designs in October before employing independent experts ECF to prepare a report.

Leader of the Conservative group Cllr Andy Lugger (Southway) said he is “very concerned” about the cost of the project as the council is being asked to find an extra £22 million. He hoped it isn’t a case of an “open cheque book” if costs rise.

The council’s strategic director of place Anthony Payne said that £6.7 million had been added in to the total to account for risk and whilst he could not guarantee costs wouldn’t rise, he suspected they would be lower if additional outside funding could be found to help.

Council leader Tudor Evans said the price tag is still to be finalised. “We will make sure we get value for money, but we won’t dumb down the design or sell Plymouth short,” he said.