Armada Way
Work is now underway on the Armada Way regeneration scheme to create a greener, safer, more family-friendly city centre.
Over recent years Armada Way has seen a serious decline in footfall, with many empty shop units. It has features that are in dire need of repair and haven’t been updated since the 80s. There are areas that are unusable or inaccessible, with growing concerns over public safety, which have resulted in virtually no night-time economy. The area is dated, run-down and in serious need of investment.
Our ambition is to bring a large amount of residential development into the centre, giving new leases of life to tired, vacant buildings, encouraging more people to dwell in and use the city centre both during the day and at night.
This is an exciting opportunity for those who live, work or own a business in Plymouth, to reclaim, reinvigorate and renew Armada Way, creating a space that brings life back to the heart of the city.
- Recapture the scale and grandeur of Armada Way – providing a gateway to the city centre, linking the train station to The Hoe.
- More trees and greenery – there will be 202 trees on Armada Way. The new trees will all be 3.5 to 8 metres high when planted, to give immediate environmental benefits and a canopy to provide cover.
- Helping wildlife and nature – there will be a variety of trees providing a range of habitats, shrubs, wildflowers and reed beds, as well as bug hotels and bird boxes.
- Huge play village for families – a destination play village that will be the size of five tennis courts, full of spaces to run, splash, balance, swing, climb, relax and sit, for children of all ages and their carers/parents to enjoy.
- Working smartly to deal with the city’s rainwater – a new surface water drainage system that will be partly powered by solar panels to make it more sustainable. It will recycle the water to maintain the plants and trees.
- Improved safety for all – we will install 12 and 15 metre high lighting throughout and feature lighting to up-light plants and create patterns on the ground. A much-improved CCTV system and clear views across Armada Way will help to deter anti-social behaviour.
- Places to sit, relax and eat – there will be spaces for 500 people to sit.
- Cycling path for people of all abilities - a new cycle path will cater for cyclists of all abilities, with cycle racks and Beryl Bike hubs.
- Pop-up spaces with water and power – pop-up spaces will be available for retail, arts and entertainment.
Learn more about different parts of the scheme:
How will the scheme be funded?
The cost of the construction is now £29.89 million. This will be paid for by external Government grants (Transforming Cities Fund and the Future High Streets Fund), contributions from developers, funding from the Climate Emergency Investment Fund, Council borrowing and receipts from the sale of surplus property.
This means that the direct cost to local taxpayers for the construction of the Armada Way scheme is just £11.2 million, just over 38% of the overall construction costs. 62% of the scheme will be funded from sources other than the City Council, including the sale of surplus property.
See the Cabinet Report from 9 September for further information:
Timeline/programme of works
The work will be split up into three phases – we will liaise with businesses along Armada Way throughout the programme of works:
Zone One (from North Cross to Mayflower Street)
Commencing October 2024 (will conclude summer 2025).
Works here include:
- Creating a new Haul Road – this is a temporary construction route that will be created in the centre of each zone, to enable construction vehicles to access each area from the highway. This will involve levelling work and temporary surfacing.
- Digging foundations and forming the new amphitheatre
- Installing pipework for the rill and constructing the rain gardens – the first stage of the new SuDs scheme
- New landscaping and tree planting
- New lighting, street furniture and flag poles being reinstated
- Removal of the solid hoarding and erecting heras fencing
- New paving
- Translocation of one tree near the Armada Centre
- Mayflower Street works – for a short period of time (approximately mid April until the end of May), buses will be diverted around Coburg Street.
Zone Two (from Mayflower Street to Place De Brest)
Whilst some works will begin in 2024, the main works will commence in the spring 2025 (will conclude Autumn 2025)
Works here include:
- Extension of Zone One haul road (from October 2024)
- Pollarding / pruning trees (Autumn 2024)
- Install further solid hoarding
- Install rill, rain gardens and dancing jets (won’t be switched on until project completion)
- Install dancing jets
- Landscaping and tree planting
- Install play area equipment
- Installation of solar canopies
- Complete paving
Zone Three (from Place de Brest to Piazza)
Commencing Summer 2025 (will conclude Spring 2026)
Works here include:
- Pump room works for the SuDs scheme and dancing jets
- New rain gardens and reed beds
- Connect drainage system with Old Town Street / New George Streets recently completed network
- Final street lighting and furniture installed
- Landscaping and tree planting
- Complete paving
- Translocation of three trees (autumn/winter 2025)
Each zone will reopen when it is complete. And it is hoped that all works will be complete by June 2026.