Economic development
The Economic Development Service was created as a direct response to the city's growth agenda and aims to secure sustained economic growth through a balanced, dynamic economy.
The service consists of four core teams:
Economic Development
The Economic Development team provides a range of services aimed at companies including:
- Commercial property registers and search facility
- Online business directory
- Provision of statistical information
- Business-related news and events notifications
- Business support and advice provided by our local partners
We are also involved in several major projects in the city including delivery of the:
- Local Economic Strategy
- Urban Enterprise programme
- Council’s Worklessness agenda
- Growth Acceleration and Investment Network
- Plymouth Growth Board
- Regional Growth Fund
- Superfast broadband connectivity
We also represent the city on the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership.
For further information, please email invest@plymouth.gov.uk or telephone 01752 307996.
Commercial Property
The Council's commercial estate comprises a diverse range of property including industrial estates, retail units, offices, and leisure properties, with a total capital value of £125m producing approximately £8m of rental income.
We manage 114 industrial units located at Belliver, Devonport, Millbay, Newnham, and Parkway, ranging in size from 600 to 6,500 sq ft, together with 45 retail units located primarily on the periphery of the city centre, ranging in size from 160 to 1,100 sq ft with vacancies occasionally arising.
A list of our available commercial premises is available on our land and property page. For further details, please email us at commercialproperty@plymouth.gov.uk.
Office accommodation is available at the Council-managed City Business Park in Stoke, as well as the Business Centre in Cattedown.
We are also responsible for the management of Plymouth City Market in Frankfort Gate which has provided a focal point for local traders and shoppers for almost fifty years, with over 100 stalls selling a diverse range of local produce.
For further information, please email commercialproperty@plymouth.gov.uk or telephone 01752 304161.
Strategic Projects
The Strategic Projects team focuses on the delivery of major commercial development projects that are being promoted by the Council to advance its Local Development Framework and Local Economic Strategy to create new jobs, increase economic productivity, and to improve Plymouth as a commercial location. We work very closely with other teams in the Economic Development Service and other specialists within other Council services and within our Place directorate. We welcome discussions with landowners, developers, and other stakeholders who could be involved in the delivery of major commercial development projects.
For further information, please email strategic.projects@plymouth.gov.uk or telephone 01752 304161.
Place Management
Place management is the process of making places better. Successful places, or those that pass the test of time, evolve to meet the changing needs of those that use them.
Destination Plymouth, a business-led partnership, was given responsibility for driving the Plymouth visitor economy through delivery of the Place Management Strategy, approved by Plymouth City Council in April 2010.
By improving the visitor experience and marketing of the whole city, the aim is to grow the visitor economy, increasing the number of visitors and spend to create 7,000 additional jobs over the coming 10 to 15 years thereby also delivering the Local Economic Strategy 2006 to 2021 (Tourism, Culture and Leisure Sector).
To achieve this, Destination Plymouth co-ordinates the place management and visitor marketing activities of the Plymouth City Centre Company, Plymouth Waterfront Partnership and Plymouth City Council. It also ensures integration of the Positively Plymouth brand.
A visitor plan is being developed by Destination Plymouth, shortly due to be considered for approval by Cabinet, which will contain core strategy targets that Plymouth Growth Board and the Council will monitor. Through partnership it aims to align the complementary activity of other partners to drive the city’s visitor economy
For further information, please email destinationplymouth@plymouth.gov.uk or telephone 01752 305424.
These four teams provide a mix of services to business and ensure strategies and initiatives are in place which deliver new jobs, tackle economic inequality and make Plymouth a place where business can flourish. Increasing the number of visitors to the city and improving the visitor experience along with encouraging further development in the city are other key activities of the service.
To focus the work of the service, five 'star' projects have been identified that will have a real and significant impact on the growth and rebalancing of the local economy. These star projects are:
- Inward Investment
- Waterfront Business Improvement District
- Growth Acceleration and Investment Network
- Local Enterprise Partnership
- City Centre Regeneration
An overview of the city containing labour market and other useful information may be found by downloading the document below.
Plymouth [964KB]