To help inform the Armada Way independent learning review, members of the public, local groups, businesses and interested organisations are now invited to submit their representations.
Following the scrapping of the original decision to redevelop Armada Way, announcing an independent learning review was one of the first decisions that Council Leader, Tudor Evans, made when he first took office in May 2023.
Now that all the legal action has concluded, the Learning Review has started and is expected to conclude within three months. Three independent experts have been commissioned to lead the review.
Over the next three months, they will examine what happened in the lead up to the felling of the trees, and why it happened. They will consider the facts relating to the development and approval of the original scheme (that was subsequently scrapped).
The panel are reviewing all the documentation relating to the scheme and will be speaking to those involved in the decision making and implementation. The Council is also keen to give relevant key stakeholders who have an interest in the city centre scheme, including members of the public and local businesses, the opportunity to feed their views to the panel.
One of the key areas that the panel are considering is the role of consultation and engagement in the lead up to the decision being made – specifically were there adequate opportunities and information available for people to give their views.
If you would like to give your representations, please complete the online form by the 6 January 2025. A report which will include the findings from the review and recommendations for the future, will be published in the Spring.
Councillor Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said: “I have made it clear that we want to learn from the past and if there are any areas that we could improve on for future large-scale developments, such as Armada Way, we want to make sure we do.
“The role of the public in the lead up to the decision being made by the previous administration was through consultation and engagement, to help shape the scheme. If anyone would like to give their views, I would encourage them to have their say.”
David Williams, Chair of the Review Panel, said: “Over the next few months we have a lot of material to consider. We want to understand the process that the Council went through in preparing the original decision, the governance around it, the previous consultations, the implementation stage and indeed the financial implications.
“Whilst much of this information has already been collated for the various legal stages, if members of the public, or other external stakeholders want to give their views, we will of course consider their feedback
“It is important to remember that the purpose of this review is to identify improvements for the future. To make sure that any areas that could be strengthened or bolstered in future regeneration projects are taken on board.
“If you have a constructive view that you would like to be considered, please complete the form so that my colleagues and I can take it into account.”
For more information, or to submit your views, go to: Armada Way Independent Learning Review,. Please note that the deadline for submissions is 6 January 2025.