Two large vacant buildings in Plymouth's Armada Way district have been acquired by Homes England as part of an ambitious vision to deliver 10,000 homes across the city within the next decade.
Mayflower House, a former office complex, and the adjacent Congress Hall, previously occupied by the Salvation Army, are earmarked for demolition to make way for apartments.
Homes England confirmed it is collaborating with the council and other local stakeholders to assess current and future housing demand within the city, which will inform the subsequent phases for this development.
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"Any plans to propose changes to the city centre will be subject to public consultation at the appropriate time," the organisation said.
An earlier plan for Mayflower House that had secured council approval would have seen its demolition and replacement with an 18-storey tower featuring 490 student flats alongside office and commercial facilities, reports .
A hotel development was also considered for the Congress Hall location, though neither scheme has materialised.
Plymouth City Council and Homes England have unveiled a fresh 'plympton>Plymouth City Centre Vision' which outlines a joint commitment to provide 10,000 new homes throughout the city centre and its surrounding areas.
The vision acknowledges that approximately £4.4bn of government investment will flow into Devonport naval base over the coming decade, which is expected to drive demand for new housing, with Babcock needing 5,500 additional employees and a further 2,000 construction positions being generated at the dockyard. Plymouth's city centre is currently experiencing a housing shortfall, with only around 1,000 homes compared to the 8,000 typically found in cities of Plymouth's size.
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The council has set its sights on creating "a new town in the city". Efforts are underway to transform the Armada Way area into a dynamic central hub through a £30m public realm project, which aims to draw investors, enhance retail offerings, leisure facilities, and the night-time economy, as well as spur investment in housing.
Following the opening of the first section of the public realm upgrade last week, it is understood that the improvements have already enticed global investment firm Schroders to acquire the Armada Centre in June.
Plymouth City Council has recently entered into a "Memorandum of Understanding" partnership agreement with Homes England, marking a significant step in fortifying the collaboration between the two entities.
Next Monday (August 11), the council's cabinet will deliberate on endorsing further engagement with the government's nascent new town programme and approving funding of up to £1 million from Homes England and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) for technical studies and master planning to steer housing delivery.
At the launch of the initial segment of the Armada Way redevelopment, Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, expressed that the regeneration would involve revitalising dormant or underutilised buildings.
Speaking about Mayflower House and Congress Hall, he remarked: "These buildings will be gone and in a few years time there will be apartments.
"This whole area will be earmarked for redevelopment, for housing which is desperately needed.
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"When visitors arrive at the northern end of the city centre at North Cross or the railway station either walking or on bike, the gateway to the city centre will be so much more impressive and they will be able to see all the way up to the Hoe."
Plymouth City Council has been asked for comment.