With a new team at the City Development Company, Plymouth is looking to the future. Insider’s panel debated the challenge.
What impact has the economic downturn had on Plymouth’s plans for physical regeneration?
Gavin Carrier Plymouth has fantastic
physical attributes, with its fabulous
waterfront. The challenge is to connect
the city to the waterfront to make
the most of it. Clearly the downturn
has slowed down some of the city’s
progress with redevelopment, but
a point like this in the economic cycle
is also a good opportunity to prepare
for the upturn.
Carl Budden It’s important to not to
let the downturn breed negativity,
there are no quick fixes when undertaking
regeneration. You simply have
to work through economic cycles.
And a lot of progress has been made
in the past 15 years. Look at Sutton
Harbour and at Royal William Yard.
Neither is finished yet but both have
already been transformed.
Tom Bloxham The recession has
had an impact, of course. But, as
Carl says, regeneration is a long-term
game. You just have to roll up your
sleeves and get on with it.
Has Plymouth City Development Company Team got the finances it needs to achieve its strategic objectives?
Carrier Absolutely, yes. The City
Development Company (CDC) has
funding in place until 2011, and
I am hopeful that between now and
then a true partnership arrangement
between the private and public
sector can be established to take
things forward.
Budden And remember that the
funding will continue beyond 2011.
There is a long-term commitment
to the CDC, it’s just that public sector
funding like this works in three-year
cycles. Regeneration takes a generation,
and the CDC has been set
up to spearhead delivery of that for
years to come.
Bloxham My experience is that money
follows ideas, not the other way
around. It is easy to get fixated on
budgets, but many projects I have
been involved with haven’t had
the funding behind them initially.
The public sector can recognise a
good idea when it sees one, and
do what’s necessary to support it.
Likewise the private sector.
David Parlby The vision for the city
is that it can become one of Europe’s
finest waterfront cities, but 80 per
cent of those who live here cannot
even see the waterfront currently.
Reconnecting the city to the waterfront
holds the key.
How good is the relationship between the private and public sectors in Plymouth?
Parlby It’s very good. We have
something called the local strategic
partnership here in the city, and it
brings together the public and private
sectors very effectively.
Viv Gillespie There are some quite
effective partnerships between the
private and public sectors in the city
that look at the skills agenda. But
there is still room for improvement.
How can we plan for a future when the public sector is itself under huge pressure to reduce costs?
Parlby Nationally, there is a lot of talk
about how the public sector will
balance its books in time. But there
is still an opportunity for greater
efficiency in the public sector –
and the private sector can help.
At the same time, despite the
inevitable cutbacks, the public sector
still has to be prepared to invest in
kick-starting important projects.
Bloxham Public sector investments
may start drying up over the next
12 months. As a private sector
business, we have had to become
more efficient, and I think greater
efficiency is something the public
sector also needs to embrace.
Is better broadband vital to the prospects of Plymouth, and how quickly could it happen?
Parlby I think it is, with digital businesses forming a growing part of the economy. That’s why the Digital Plymouth programme is so important. I’m told that if the funding was in place the upgrade could be completed within three years. The cost would be £80m, so to me it’s a no-brainer. It would put Plymouth on the map for the cost of building just three miles of motorway.
Why doesn’t Plymouth have a stronger profile nationally?
Parlby There is a lot of history to that.
The chamber has made clear its view
to the CDC that more should be done.
Carrier And the CDC is listening.
There are so many diverse organisations
in Plymouth, with different
agendas and objectives. That is
probably something that has held
the city back. The challenge is to
harness all the energy that is out
there into something cohesive and
powerful. One of the other keys to
Plymouth’s regeneration will lie in
energising the population to aim higher.
Bloxham When a business is deciding
where to base itself, it comes down
to more than price per square foot
of the accommodation. What is the
housing like? What is the schooling
like? What is the local environment
and cultural offer like? These are the
questions that will be asked. People
want to work in exciting, attractive,
creative, great cities with a sense
of direction and leadership.
When marketing Plymouth, the key
is to promote what makes it special.
Plymouth has a lot to shout about,
with its fantastic geography, landscape
and university.
Also in: November 2009
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