Armada Way revamp will be shining light at end of tunnel

Opinion: From building site to regeneration catalyst

Plymouth’s giant flagship project to improve Armada Way has been a long time coming and full of controversy but come the summer I believe it will be one that the city can be rightly proud of.

It may look like a huge building site in the heart of the city and the disruption for businesses has been a lot to bear over the last few years but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is going to shine very brightly indeed.

Armada Way was a critical element of the rebirth of Plymouth after the blitz of World War Two, a wide ceremonial and direct boulevard connecting the railway station to the Hoe, but in recent decades has laid tired and neglected.

As Plymouth enters a new period of optimism with huge investment in defence and new homes, Armada Way is at the forefront again and this much anticipated £30 million scheme to bring it back to life is big, bold and beautiful.

Cities need the wow factor and this could be it for Plymouth, a manmade structure that complements the nature beauty of its coastal location, with water being a huge focus but also nature, so crucial in a built up city which will see thousands of new homes in skyscrapers in the future.

I can imagine children’s laughter as they jump about in the dancing jets, open the sluice gates in the rill, climb in the wooden boat and giant dodecahedron and marvel at the wonder of the butterflies and bees on all the wild flowers.

The play area is so extensive it has been separated into several different themed areas and there’s seating for the adults there too so they can keep an eye on the little ones.

There’s even going to be changing rooms as it will be hard not to get wet with all the water play.

The one kilometre route has so much…. green lawns, entertainment spaces include an amphitheatre which local acts are lining up to perform at, cycle paths… already being well used by delivery drivers, shaded canopies to eat your lunch and even undercover areas when it rains…

Power sources in the bollards at the amphitheatre and under the solar canopy ensure that everyone from the loudest band to the solitary worker are catered for.

But equally it earn its stripes below the surface with a sustainable urban  drainage system where massive underground storage tanks fill with rainwater. The water will be recirculated around Armada Way through a rill running the entire length of the proposed scheme and be used to water plants and trees. Excess water is released into the combined sewerage system slowly so potential sewage overflows into the Sound during heavy rainfall are avoided.

This is a win, win in environmental terms.

The pièce de résistance in the beauty stakes could well be the thing we have not yet had a glimpse of … the phoenix fountain sculpture, a mable creation replicating the one that was put there after World War Two to mark Plymouth’s rebirth. It’s currently in the making… watch this space!

The scheme has quality written all over it. Take the paving…. seven centimetres of granite sitting on top of a reinforced concrete base, in the words of the project manager it “should not be going anywhere for a long time”.

That means no more breaking up of the surface causing trips hazard.

Hardwearing corten steel has been used for the edges of the green spaces which in a soft orange colour creates a contrast to the stone, in time this will be softened when the hedges grow up.

Built to last is how city leaders have described this Herculean project but unlike some  public realm schemes in the past, there will be an ongoing maintenance budget to keep it looking pristine.

In a few months time I think Plymouth families will flock to Armada Way and businesses will start to see a revival. More cafes and restaurants along the edge are the vision and an outside cafe culture under the newly planted topiary London Planes.

All the 180 new trees are chosen with the right plant, right place principle and designed to be there for generations. We just all need a bit of patience and wait for everything to grow.

The sun often shines in Plymouth although we haven’t seen it for a while.  Council leaders say Plymouth’s time has come and Armada Way could indeed be the catalyst for it all.