Plymouth’s first council estate gains a bright future

Houses in North Prospect, Plymouth

I was delighted to hear today that one of the most important estate regeneration projects in the South West had got the green light to begin large-scale improvements in earnest.

Plymouth Community Homes’ ambitious plans for North Prospect were granted planning permission by Plymouth City Council this afternoon. The news is a welcome boost for the city’s first council estate, which was initially built for former soldiers returning from the first world war but became known as the ‘Cinderella of Plymouth’ by the 1960s. Work to replace the homes is needed today because many of them have fallen into disrepair. Long-term, there are plans to replace 800 old homes with 1,200 new ones as part of the £80m, 10-year regeneration programme.

Today’s committee decision is about more than planning, as it also triggers an investment of almost £4m from the HCA to support the delivery of the first 80 affordable homes on the new estate.

It’s a story that has kept some of us at both organisations busy over the past week, but it’s great that things have hit a positive note.

Contrary to how it sometimes must feel when negative headlines are flying at you (unfairly), today’s result is well deserved good news for an impressive, young organisation which is leading a sizable and complex programme of improvements in a great city.

Hats off to them; here’s to seeing work start in North Prospect.