Civic Centre £47 million regeneration plans on show

Construction could start next year

Regeneration plans for Plymouth’s iconic Civic Centre have gone on show for the first time this week and there seems a consensus of support that this derelict symbol of the city’s post war reconstruction is coming back to life.

Plymouth City Council’s vision for 144 privately rented one and two-bed apartments in the 14-storey landmark, and a City College campus focusing on training people for the 25,000 job openings in Plymouth over the next decade, is going down well with the public who say it can’t come soon enough.

Architects are also hoping there will be a public viewing point at the top of the tower block and a restaurant again like back in its heyday.

A series of events are being held this month to consult with local residents and businesses before Plymouth City Council submits a formal planning application. Construction could start as early as next year on the £47 million scheme if there is public support.

Thousands of postcards encouraging people to share their views and their stories of the old building online are being handed out by engagement experts ECF who have been commissioned by the council to undertake the public consultation as they did for the Armada Way regeneration in late 2023.

Paul Grosch, who attended the first consultation event on Thursday at the piazza, said he thought the plans for the Civic Centre were “splendid”.

“The council has to be congratulated for trying to resurrect what was once a fine building and hopefully will be again and with the City College element is a superb idea,” he said.

“I have lived in Plymouth since 1980 and what the council is doing with Armada Way and other projects such as the community diagnostics centre are things to be proud of and we should be supporting them.

“Councils and the government are given a pretty hard time and it’s about time people stood up for all the positive things they are doing.”

Whilst there were some concerns about the flats not being affordable for local people and question marks over where residents would park their cars as there is no parking in the plans, people seemed happy that after a decade of nothing happening to the Civic Centre, things were starting to move forward.

Jack Spence, who lives on the Hoe, said he was not worried about there not being parking as he didn’t want to see more cars in the city and everything was within a five minute walk from theatres to churches, shops and restaurants anyway.

“I have lived in Plymouth all my life more or less and this building should really have been done before, the sooner the better I think. It’s a centrepoint and a focal point and it’s going to be good.”

Susan Lamerton said she used to work in the building, opened in 1962 by the late Queen, and had visited the rooftop restaurant back in the day.

“Sometimes it’s hard to imagine it can be decent again, it looks very very drab right now but’s it’s in a really good position,” she said.

She recalled a time when Plymouth’s City Centre was a thriving retail centre with large department stores John Yeo’s, Spooners and Pophams along Royal Parade and also when Dingles, Derry’s, Woolworths, Littlewoods and British Homes Stores were key retail outlets.

“Everything has changed and now most people shop online, the empty shops makes the city look run down.

“But I think we are very lucky that we have such large expanses of space here and from the city centre you can walk to the Hoe which is very beautiful. I would like to see less litter everywhere in Plymouth. We need to clean our public spaces looking clean and nice.”

Dave Hosking said he remembered going on the roof of the Civic 60 years ago when he was just five years old and was excited to see what could happen there again. He said he considered Plymouth to be a good shopping centre which would be enhanced by all public realm works especially the water features.

The pond beneath the first-floor corridor and the Civic Pond area will be repaired and re-landscaped to create accessible public spaces. Fencing will be removed, and new planting and seating will enhance the setting while respecting the building’s heritage, the council said.

Geoff Denford said the Civic Centre was a great period piece of architecture but all he could remember was it being empty so it was time to bring it back to life.

Students Jake Southwell and John Lynes said they liked the idea of city living with all the things to do close by and considered it to be a better use of the site than students flats which they felt were too dominant in the city.

Katrina Willis said she would like the properties to be affordable to people in Plymouth living on the minimum wage.

The council says that rents will be market-led, reflecting their location and specification. 

“The aim is to provide high-quality homes for people who want to live close to work, learning, culture and the waterfront helping to grow a vibrant city centre community,” it said.

“These homes are designed for a broad mix of residents including young professionals, couples, and downsizers, all of whom value quality, convenience and sustainable living in accessible apartments.”

The blue/green skill hub for City College will be located on the lower ground, ground and first floors of the Civic Centre.  This new facility will train up to 2,000 students per year across 60 courses focused on marine, green and sustainable technologies, advanced engineering and digital simulation and sustainable business and leadership.

During the first consultation day people shared their memories from working in or on the Grade II listed building which was once the council offices to attending weddings there. Plymouth City Council is encouraging people to share pictures and stories from its history. 

Ryan O Connor from architects working on the Civic Building Design Partnership who attended the event in the Piazza said he was there to understand the stories and share in them.

“That narrative is as strong as what we are proposing to do physically with the building, he said.

He added that it was a privilege to be involved in this project to refresh a “really expressive piece of architecture, with its fantastic cantilevers, which was built to galvanise the city after the World War Two.”

One man said when he moved away from the city, his mother sent him a postcard of the Civic Centre on it to remind him of home.

This huge regeneration is currently funded with grants from a number of public sector pots, including the Future High Streets Fund, corporate borrowing, Levelling Up Fund and Homes England Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund of £18,386,278.

Total spend is currently £47,486,361 and this will pay for the completion of the shell and core works. City College Plymouth and a residential developer will be further funding the project for the fit-out of the college and the residential space respectively.

The building will be maintained by City College Plymouth and the residential developer.

Consultation events continue on; 

Saturday 8 November 10am to 1pm – City College Plymouth Open Day

Thursday 13 November 5pm to 7pm – Christmas Lights Switch-on

Wednesday 19 November  10.30am to 4pm – surveys in the city centre 

Wednesday 26 November 5.30pm to 7pm – Evening drop-in session, Commonwealth Room, Crowne Plaza

Thursday 27 November 10.30am to 12.30pm – Pop-up at Christmas Market

To complete the survey and share your stories and photographs regarding the Civic Centre, visit: httds://plymouthciviccentre.commonplace.is/