More change is afoot on our new-look boulevard with trees now being planted along this new avenue between the city centre and the sea. 
A line of stone pine or Pinus pinea is now running along the new link and in the new square at the Union Street end of the boulevard. Stone pine is a compact tree that fits with our ‘Plan for Trees’ and will not outgrow its location.
Like the other plants and shrubs being planted along this avenue, they are hardy and more tolerant of the salt laden winds and the marine environment.
They are part of the boulevard’s ‘rain gardens’ – sunken beds planted with coastal grasses and flowering plants arranged beneath an avenue of trees. These will be irrigated using water stored in underground tanks as part of a ‘Sustainable Urban Drainage’ system which are capable of holding 240 tonnes of water - equal in volume to seven standard shipping containers.
The remaining shrubs are now being planted to give more of a coastal feel to the route and it’s finishing off work to turn a dingy backwater lane into an airy boulevard with smart granite paving.
The tanks are not the only thing beneath the surface. There is now a District Heating Network with over 600 sq metres of pipework and two thermal boreholes tapping into Plymouth's warm water aquifer.
It means that when developments do progress, the buildings will be able to tap into low carbon energy. This can be rolled out across the city centre in the future.
For more detail of what we're doing read here.