Regeneration of Plymouth's towering former Civic Centre and nearby Guildhall are expected to start in 2022 as part of a series of investments in Plymouth city centre worth almost £400million and set to create hundreds of new jobs.
Plans are being drawn up for improvements at the historic Guildhall and to create an international conference centre in the basement of on the opposite side of the Civic Square, which will also undergo a major upgrade.
The construction schemes will be funded by £12million awarded to Plymouth City Council by the Government from its Future High Streets Fund, and were outlined by Cabinet member for finance and city centre champion Cllr Mark Lowry at a meeting of the local authority..
They are part of an estimated £385million worth of investment planned in the city centre, predicted to support 5,000 construction jobs and result in 1,000 permanent new jobs.
Councillors heard that the city council had been working with Manchester-based developer Urban Splash and the University of Plymouth on the Civic Centre plans. A final decision on the Government grant is expected at the end of March, with work on both buildings expected to start in 2022.
The Guildhall is expected to be completed a year later, with the Civic Centre, renamed by Urban Splash as The Civic, finished in 2024. Urban Splash will also create 144 homes by converting the 14-floor tower block, which was given planning permission in January 2020, four years after the developer bought the empty listed former council HQ building for a token £1.
Matt Ward, the council’s head of strategic development projects, said an international conference centre would be created in the basement, with linked space in the south block, and a creative hub for the university in the north block.
Across the Civic Square, the Guildhall will undergo a major programme of work to upgrade facilities to host events, with internal alterations and improvements to catering, IT, sound and lighting.
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Cllr Lowry said the city was short of conference facilities and the projects would attract an extra 46,000 visitors to the city, with an economic impact of around £5million and an extra 25,000 hotel stays a year.
He told a meeting of the Labour-run city council’s Cabinet: “It’s a great opportunity for us to finally deal with the sore of the Civic Centre that’s been standing there for many years empty. We will bring it back to life, and more importantly it’s going to add to the economic benefit of our city, and the centre.”
He gave a reassurance that the historic Guildhall, which is a listed building, would not be harmed during the process, but would be brought up to date with alterations and improvements so it could be better used.
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The Guildhall and the conference centre schemes are both due to go through the planning process. Pre-application discussions have taken place for the Guildhall, on repair, refurbishment and enhancement work to host multi-purpose events.
A planning application, and request for listed building consent, have been submitted for a standalone energy centre at the Guildhall, to provide a new environmentally-friendly heating system. The high temperature air source heat pump would be connected to a network also serving the former Civic Centre and the council-owned Midland House.
Pre-application discussions have taken place for the conference centre scheme, which is expected to be followed by a full planning application.
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The is also at the pre-application stage, with discussions taking place. The new design for the public area would include an upgraded coffee kiosk pavilion, new tree planting and landscaping work, with an improved drainage system.
Images of what the area could look like show the city centre flagpoles relocated from alongside the Guildhall to outside the Civic Centre, and mini fountains in low-level water features.
The public square was built between 1957 and 1962, designed by Geoffrey Jellicoe, and established as part of the civic layout of Plymouth planned in 1956 by the city architect HJW Stirling and based on Patrick Abercrombie and J Paton Watson’s post-war plan for Plymouth of 1943.
The regeneration schemes support the city council’s Resurgam programme, a public and private sector partnership to stimulate post-Covid recovery following the severe economic impact of the pandemic.
Councillors heard that the city centre had seen recent openings of Hugo Boss in Drake Circus, German Doner Kebab in Armada Way and Evans Cycles moving to new George Street, with BrewDog in the Barcode cinema complex and retailer B&M due to open in Armada Way later this year.
A 94-bed Oyo hotel has opened in New George Street in New George Street, and work has been completed on the former Derry’s Cross scheme providing 500 student places and a 110-bed Premier Inn, which is expected to open later this year.
The Cabinet was told funding from a £22million award by the Government from its Transforming Cities Fund included £2million for bus infrastructure, £12million for walking, cycling and public transport improvements, £7million on cycle routes linking the centre to Devonport, the Dockyard and St Budeaux, with other investment in workplace travel, cargo bikes and bus services.
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Work has started on and surrounding area, with the university taking a lease on the Intercity House tower block, and schemes in the pipeline include a new health hub as part of the redevelopment of Colin Campbell Court.
Other projects including the start of £7million of outdoor improvements to Old Town Street and new George Street, and £1.5million of improvements in Frankfort Gate and Western Approach including the demolition of a footbridge across the main road.
Mr Ward said the projects outlined would provide an estimated 1,000 permanent jobs and more than 5,000 construction jobs, in schemes amounting to a total investment of £385million, with £16million from the council and £52million grant funding from other agencies.
He said: “We really are working extremely hard to secure investment into the city centre, in order to make it a place that people want to come and visit and make it a place that will hopefully be thriving for years to come.”
Cllr Lowry said the nearest Hugo Boss stores were in Bristol and Southampton, which showed the confidence of premier brands in the city. City council leader Tudor Evans said Plymouth was in a better position than competitor cities, and was facing the future with confidence.