Need for the city’s infrastucture to be improved, holding Argyle back.

[ChepstowGreen]

We absolutely do need an airport, or a good railway or a motorway. Currently, the rail link to the rest of the country is slow and can be unreliable, the A38 is not good enough for companies to look to invest in the area. To faciliate the growth of the city, we desperately need at least one strong transportation link to the rest of the country, and by extension, the world. We are fortunate enough to have one of the best natural surroundings of any city I can think of (no reason why Plymouth shouldn't be a mini Vancouver, San Francisco or Sydney, all of whom have similar geographical benefits), but we have not taken advantage of what we have.

Indeed, and now everyone is so willing to relocate with the advent of hybrid working, location is less of a factor. A factor, for sure, but less of one. Daily flights to Heathrow would be a big draw to those companies looking at the UK as a whole and choosing their hub.

 

[Biggs]

I always think it is a pity that despite obviously being a coastal/maritime/ocean city you can live and work in Plymouth and not actually see the sea at all. If you are visiting the city centre to shop or to view The Box etc you could be anywhere because there is no connection to the waterfront. This is partly because there is no obvious walking route between Armada Way and the Barbican but mostly it is because between the city centre and the waterfront is a big hill (the Hoe) that visually and physically separates the two areas. Imagine what Plymouth would be like if Armada Way ran all the way down to the waterfront with a clear line of sight. The city centre would then feel much more connected to the sea and the waterfront.

Possibly, but that should be the role of Armada Way and hopefully will be once more when it's redeveloped. Plus the Barcode is a much better way of getting to the Barbican than what was there before (a smelly bus station depot).

 

[Argyleloyal]

John Lewis isn't expanding anywhere at the moment, they had to close their massive Birmingham store so they certainly wouldn't be looking at Plymouth.

I think you'll see lots more 'premium' stuff once the Armada Way development is done, there's already been a stream of decent new shops opening in last year or so at Drake Circus, but no-one would touch AW as it was/is.

I also wonder if Argyle will have some sort of presence in the centre again...

I’m on about John Lewis years ago before the mall got built

 

[Since I Was 33]

It is bigger than Broadmead in Bristol which caters for a much larger population!

It's not bigger than Broadmead and if you add on Cabot's Circus and Cribbs plus Gloucester Road, Whiteladies Road too then the overall shopping area is much, much bigger than Plymouth. I lived there prior to moving to Plymouth

 

[Green Flash]

It's not bigger than Broadmead and if you add on Cabot's Circus and Cribbs plus Gloucester Road, Whiteladies Road too then the overall shopping area is much, much bigger than Plymouth. I lived there prior to moving to Plymout

i am not saying Bristol does not have more shops than Plymouth of course it does (although strictly speaking Cribbs is not in Bristol) just that its central shopping precinct is not as large, which it isnt.

 

[Guiri Green]

I always think it is a pity that despite obviously being a coastal/maritime/ocean city you can live and work in Plymouth and not actually see the sea at all. If you are visiting the city centre to shop or to view The Box etc you could be anywhere because there is no connection to the waterfront. This is partly because there is no obvious walking route between Armada Way and the Barbican but mostly it is because between the city centre and the waterfront is a big hill (the Hoe) that visually and physically separates the two areas. Imagine what Plymouth would be like if Armada Way ran all the way down to the waterfront with a clear line of sight. The city centre would then feel much more connected to the sea and the waterfront.

I think the Millbay boulevard was intended to provide a link between part of the city's waterfront and centre, I know it's 'in progress' but it seems to be taking a long time.

How many people are aware of the waterfront area, lido, history and walks at Mountwise or the area of the former South Yard for example ?

Plymouth by comparison to Portsmouth has undersold itself for years. The Hoe can look fantastic if you're looking out to sea but peer over the railings - especially out of season - and it's an eyesore. The lido, Plymouths nationally recognised iconic structure is a tip for 8 months of the year.

It would be nice to visit somewhere that looks like the postcard.

 

[Green Matt]

It's worth bearing in mind that Plymouth is on the same trajectory as the rest of the country, and having a John Lewis isn't going to make a lot of difference. And it remains to be seen whether the department stores that are already here can remain viable. Such things are extremely mundane anyway, and if we're defining a place on what corporate shops it has it's sad times.

The railway needs to go back up through Tavvy and Okehampton, but if that's ever done, will it still cost silly money to get a train up country? Probably. An airport would be useful, but I think the issue is that the landscape doesn't really allow for anything much bigger than already exists.

What Plymouth needs to do is make the best of what it has. I don't think it's even close to doing that. Again, Plymouth isn't alone here, but some aspects of it have been disappointing for decades. Take a walk up Union Street to see decline - particularly the theatre- while corporations build completely unnecessary things like the 'Barcode'. Even the barbican features serious missed opportunities, like The Cooperage.

 

[Dazzy3000]

Offered Business On England's Worst Street ð´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿

🇬🇧 Britain; the world's sixth biggest economy. But what is life like for the average Brit outside of the capital city? Well, I went to investigate and what...

m.youtube.com

Videos like this don’t help

 

[djg145]

I agree the city needs the uplift. We're lucky to have an amazing waterfront, however the city centre is awful. The way people shop has changed and the town needs to be adapted into a modern, urban centre with parks, housing and entertainment. The only way to do that is to knock it down and start again. It's an argument that Argyle have no influence on.

I get bored with 'we need an airport'. We don't. The demand wasn't there before and you'll only be getting flights to Gatwick or somewhere similar. Its easier go get a train and Bristol and Exeter Airport are up the road.

We need a decent train station with a connection to Central Park. Central Park has so much to offer. This is where the council are missing a trick with hotels and entertainment complex and with decent leisure activities set up around the park. However everytime they propose something 10 garden lovers complain about a field or too it may take up 😕

One minute you are saying we need to have parks, then you seem to saying, build hotels on Central Park!!

 

[Green Matt]

Offered Business On England's Worst Street ð´ó §ó ¢ó ¥ó ®ó §ó ¿

🇬🇧 Britain; the world's sixth biggest economy. But what is life like for the average Brit outside of the capital city? Well, I went to investigate and what...

m.youtube.com

Videos like this don’t help

He definitely 'cherry picked' for that one, but it still reveals a glaring example of the decline that exists elsewhere, to varying degrees. Plymouth has had decades to get that area sorted, but has failed to do so. Again though, I don't think this problem is exclusive to Plymouth. I think there is a malaise in the general population and we certainly don't have the elites that we did when places like the theatre were built. Money is always an issue, but the will has to be there too.

 

[swanhunter]

I live in London and bought into a Plymouth business last year. I really enjoy my trips down, but agree that a lot more could be made of Plymouth. Things it really needs...

* The rail link isn't bad when it works but the reliability is AWFUL - I get delay repay 50% of time but would rather just arrive on time
* Airport isn't essential for people travelling from London, but for Plymouth people looking to do business internationally and/or the North of England and Scotland it's needed. We looked at buying another business in Yorkshire but the prospect of 6 hour train ride...nope.
* Hotels. The Moxy is pretty good but the city really needs a 4* option - Hilton/Marriott level. The Crowne Plaza isn't great
* City centre needs a lot of work. there is a general air of sadness and dereliction from Mayflower House to the empty units
* More business would come to Plymouth but there is a shortage of suitable property. Help is needed to either convert or build more units and spaces suitable for 2024 and beyond - co-working spaces, small industrial units

There are some great restaurants in the city but finding them requires detective work of the highest order!

 

[Sherford Green]

Completely agree with regards to high quality hotels, I find it amazing that a city of the size of Plymouth can have so few options.

 

[swanhunter]

He definitely 'cherry picked' for that one, but it still reveals a glaring example of the decline that exists elsewhere, to varying degrees. Plymouth has had decades to get that area sorted, but has failed to do so. Again though, I don't think this problem is exclusive to Plymouth. I think there is a malaise in the general population and we certainly don't have the elites that we did when places like the theatre were built. Money is always an issue, but the will has to be there too.

Cherry picked yes, but he's not that wrong. The Great Western hotel should be an icon of the city, a fantastic hotel. Instead....

 

[Frank Butcher]

We’ve had this type of conversation on Opinions back in the day. I’ve always been convinced that Plymouth fails to exploit its many benefits. It - and the surrounding area - has scenery, history, culture and the potential to be a gateway to and from the UK far beyond what it currently does. What it lacks in abundance though is vision and ambition.

Some of this is being addressed in the Freeport strategy but it could be even bigger, so my musings:

Vision - establish a team across all sectors to create a vision for the city and surrounding community (. Politicians, council leaders, land owners, public services and agencies (inc. Defence sector given its incumbency), SMEs, big business, technology, citizens etc.

Strategy - a gamble but one which could be made. Employ forward thinking consultancies to work with the visionaries to develop the strategy and business case including returns on investment. I doubt very much that Plymouth itself has the capability required - Management Consultants, Business Architects, Analysts …. but can exploit the capabilities of business and technology partners.

Finance - Inward investment (public/private), co-ordinated use of politicians and business leaders for lobbying (as appropriate). Seed-funding opportunities and expertise in exploiting Government issued Calls for proof of concept.

Transport links - should not be considered in isolation and frankly will never happen until the business case is demonstrated. Public/private partnerships likely needed. Issues with internal transport links are obvious (personally, other than driving 12-13 hours I have to fly Inverness to Bristol and then hire a car which is inflexible and costly), but I would be looking beyond this and positioning Plymouth as a gateway to and from Europe and the world, by sea and air. Freeport again… and accommodation (including hotels).

Smart City - having worked on several projects and managed experts in this field I know this can be a real door opener for public/private partnerships and investment. Air quality, Transport, Waste management and digital infrastructure in general exploiting some of the dark fibre. This would support public service integration as well as improved digital benefits for business in general including SMEs. This is being done in other cities so we are not reinventing the wheel here.

Marketing - not to be under-estimated. Sell the vision, sell the benefits and and continue to sell it post implementation for adoption. Hugely important.

These are thoughts off the top of my head and only scratch the surface, but I genuinely believe Plymouth’s location and overall attraction gives it real differentiation. Given, in my work, I used to have conversations with cities of similar proportions on the North and East coast, how can Plymouth not be a more attractive bet?

So Plymouth, how ambitious are you?

 

[Old Gunner]

We’ve had this type of conversation on Opinions back in the day. I’ve always been convinced that Plymouth fails to exploit its many benefits. It - and the surrounding area - has scenery, history, culture and the potential to be a gateway to and from the UK far beyond what it currently does. What it lacks in abundance though is vision and ambition.

Some of this is being addressed in the Freeport strategy but it could be even bigger, so my musings:

Vision - establish a team across all sectors to create a vision for the city and surrounding community (. Politicians, council leaders, land owners, public services and agencies (inc. Defence sector given its incumbency), SMEs, big business, technology, citizens etc.

Strategy - a gamble but one which could be made. Employ forward thinking consultancies to work with the visionaries to develop the strategy and business case including returns on investment. I doubt very much that Plymouth itself has the capability required - Management Consultants, Business Architects, Analysts …. but can exploit the capabilities of business and technology partners.

Finance - Inward investment (public/private), co-ordinated use of politicians and business leaders for lobbying (as appropriate). Seed-funding opportunities and expertise in exploiting Government issued Calls for proof of concept.

Transport links - should not be considered in isolation and frankly will never happen until the business case is demonstrated. Public/private partnerships likely needed. Issues with internal transport links are obvious (personally, other than driving 12-13 hours I have to fly Inverness to Bristol and then hire a car which is inflexible and costly), but I would be looking beyond this and positioning Plymouth as a gateway to and from Europe and the world, by sea and air. Freeport again… and accommodation (including hotels).

Smart City - having worked on several projects and managed experts in this field I know this can be a real door opener for public/private partnerships and investment. Air quality, Transport, Waste management and digital infrastructure in general exploiting some of the dark fibre. This would support public service integration as well as improved digital benefits for business in general including SMEs. This is being done in other cities so we are not reinventing the wheel here.

Marketing - not to be under-estimated. Sell the vision, sell the benefits and and continue to sell it post implementation for adoption. Hugely important.

These are thoughts off the top of my head and only scratch the surface, but I genuinely believe Plymouth’s location and overall attraction gives it real differentiation. Given, in my work, I used to have conversations with cities of similar proportions on the North and East coast, how can Plymouth not be a more attractive bet?

So Plymouth, how ambitious are you?

Hello Frank! Great post!