£18 million funding incoming for civic centre revamp

Just another £30 million to go

An £18.4 million funding deal has been signed between Homes England and Plymouth City Council to stride forward with the regeneration of the Civic Centre.

This is the largest piece of funding for the £47.5 million project to create 144 apartments and a City College Plymouth campus in the iconic post-war building which was once council offices.

Plymouth City Council says the agreement “heralds the start of an intense period of activity” ahead of a refreshed planning application being submitted.

Initial plans went on show recently for the Grade II listed building opened by the late Queen Elizabeth in 1962 and public consultation events are taking place in various places in the city this month.

People can comment, get involved and share stories about this city landmark and the feedback will shape the final planning application.

The Homes England funding will cover concrete frame repairs and fire protection, upper floors strengthening, roof works, new facades and demolition and renovation work to the existing buildings.

Other costs will be met by public sector pots including Future High Streets and Levelling Up funds and the city council plans to borrow £17 million to complete the shell and core works.

The Civic Centre redevelopment forms part of a wider regeneration strategy to unlock 10,000 new homes, improve public spaces, and create a thriving and resilient city centre economy. 

This investment by Homes England –  the government’s housing and regeneration agency – is seen as a vote of confidence in Plymouth’s potential as a growing, modern city.

By entering into the Brownfield Land and Infrastructure Agreement with Homes England, the council will be able to complete remediation works to bring the building to a point where residential units can be fitted out and delivered by a private developer. 

City College will be responsible for fitting out the college campus which will be a blue/green skills hub offering courses for 2,000 students from school leavers to adult learners.

Pauline Schaffer, director of infrastructure funding at Homes England, said: “This significant investment in Plymouth’s Civic Centre regeneration is an excellent example of how we transform brownfield sites into thriving communities.

“Through our partnership, we’re addressing the complex challenges that have held back this important site and unlocking its potential for hundreds of new homes right in the heart of the city.”

Cllr Mark Lowry, council cabinet member for finance and city centre champion said the first phase of work on the Civic had been underway for some time and was soon to be completed.

This had involved identifying and removing asbestos-containing materials, vegetation removal and installation of safety measures to improve security on site including replacement hoardings. 

The works will be carried out in phases, with phase three being the conversion of the block into residential apartments and educational centre.

A principal contractor will be engaged by the council before the end of the year to complete the remediation works. 

Cllr Lowry said complicated was an understatement when it came to this project but the goals were “pretty simple and incredibly exciting” 

He said huge amounts of work had been going on behind the scenes for months with complex legal and funding agreements being finalised.

“The Civic Centre has always been a landmark of ambition. Once a beacon of post-war renewal, it has stood too long as a reminder of decline. Now, we have the chance to breathe new life into it.

“This project is not simply about restoring a building, it is about securing the Civic Centre’s place at the heart of Plymouth’s future.”

The Civic Centre redevelopment has been in the making for a decade after Urban Splash, the company behind the regeneration of the Royal William Yard, purchased the former council headquarters in 2015.

Planning permission was secured for 144 homes, office and leisure space five years later but the scheme never came to fruition and Urban Splash sold the site back to the council for £1 last year.

At the first consultation event with the public held in the Piazza on November 6 many local residents said they were glad to see something happening at the Civic but some feared the apartments would be unaffordable to Plymouth residents.

The council says the apartments will be private rented homes and there will be no social housing or students accommodation. Rents will reflect open market prices.

Plymouth currently has around 8,000 people waiting for homes in the city.