Government 'badgered' to recognise Plymouth’s growth potential

Plymouth’s civic leaders are on a mission to get every department in government to sit up, take notice and invest in its plan for growth.

Declaring Plymouth the UK centre for marine autonomy would be a good place to start, according to Labour leader of Plymouth City Council Tudor Evans.

“What are they waiting for,” he told the council’s natural infrastructure and growth scrutiny panel. “We already have more assets than anyone else in this sector.”

The city is planning for a boost in jobs in the marine and defence industries given the tax breaks allowed as a freeport, building on existing assets such as the Plymouth Marine Business Technology Centre at the science park and Smart Sound, an organisation based in the Sound with partners including Exeter and Plymouth universities, the council and the Marine Biologicial Association.

The Plymouth and South Devon Freeport is a partnership between Plymouth City Council, Devon County Council, South Hams District Council and private companies that could create more than 3,000 jobs.

During an annual update on the freeport, the scrutiny panel heard that high calibre businesses had shown an interest in coming to Oceansgate, one of the three freeport sites, at South Yard, Devonport. The others are at Langage and Sherford.

Eight units, in two ‘innovation barns’ earmarked for marine businesses are to be built next year, subject to planning consent.

More than £3 million of freeport funding, matched by cash from Plymouth City Council, has been put into the project, which will lead to 49 new jobs.

Four commercial properties in a single building is due to completed at Langage South next autumn.

That area will provide around 138 jobs in defence, marine and manufacturing.

In addition, seed funding of £1.3 million has gone towards £23 million of port improvements at ABP Millbay.

Cattewater harbour commissioners have been supported with £380,000 in seed capital for a channel widening project, enabling larger, greener vessels to come in and out of Plymouth.

Princess Yachts has received £300,000 to extend a factory so it can build of a new line of vessels.

Cllr Evans (Lab, Ham) said despite 250 potential redundancies at the company, he believed the tide is changing for it.

Production had started by Babcock International, in conjunction with Supacat, on 70 ‘Jackal’ armoured cars for the army. A second order of 53 has been secured, creating a total of 90 new jobs.

The Marine and Maritime Launchpad has received a £7.5 million grant for an innovation hub from which financial help can be offered for projects in the sector.

The city council is also looking at opportunities for floating offshore wind (Flow), and Langage will be home to a green hydrogen hub.

Key transport infrastructure projects to unlock areas of the freeport at Langage and Sherford would take shape in 2025.

Cllr Evans told the panel the city is growing and needs to be ready. “We are making sure housebuilders come here to build 10,000 homes over the next 10 years in the city centre, he said. “We need everyone in government to know the Plymouth story now.”

In reference to Babcock providing the UK’s only facility for refitting Britain’s nuclear powered submarines, he continue: “The future nuclear deterrent can only be in Plymouth. We need to make the government understand that the economy of Plymouth is not harmed by this, but it is seen as another take -ff point for us economically.

“Most of our marketing at the moment is badgering every department of government to tell them Plymouth is their project… from economy to housing, transport and culture. We want to make sure Plymouth is fit for purpose and that businesses we already have can thrive in the future environment.”

He emphasised the city is not dependent on plans for a Devon combined local authority, which will transfer more powers from Westminster to the county, but which Plymouth has decided not to be part of.

“We must exist out of it, we cannot wait for devolution. It must happen now,” he said.

The council’s interim strategic director for growth, Karime Hassan, a former the chief executive of Exeter City Council, said Plymouth had a “transformational growth opportunity…that could be a step change to a higher paying, higher wage economy.”

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