Thousands more homes and jobs for Plymouth approved

A major £80 million plan for 5,000 new homes over the next five years which will also create 2,000 construction jobs and training opportunities has been approved by Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet.

The second phase of Plan for Homes, covering 2016 – 2020, was agreed by the Cabinet with 20 new initiatives which will:

Help Plymouth address the housing shortage
Make better use of empty and derelict sites
Help more people get the homes they need over the next five years

Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Cooperatives and Housing for Plymouth City Council, said: “We are very excited to launch the next phase of Plan for Homes. There is a massive housing shortage and the Council is committed to giving local people a better quality of life and making sure local people have a place they can call home.

“Our population is expected to rise from 258,000 to around 300,000 by 2031 and we plan to meet the need by delivering 22,700 new homes and 18,600 new jobs in construction and related industries over the next 15 years, providing a huge boost to the local economy.

“There is no quick fix to this so we need to use all our powers to make this happen, from bringing empty homes back into use, making Council land available, encouraging people to build their own homes, and making sure there is enough affordable and social housing available. We are helping people maintain their independence through providing more Disabled Facilities Grants and Extra Care schemes. We are also leading the way to make sure we deliver Starter Homes, which has also been identified as a Government priority – but here in Plymouth we are doing so much more to ensure there is a good mix of different types of housing.

“Our first Plan for Homes has already achieved so much, with the vast majority of new homes being built on brownfield sites, so we have much to celebrate, but we also have much more we want to do. That is why we as a Council are investing in all these new housing initiatives.”

Local residents have also welcomed the work the Council has already done so far to deliver Plan for Homes.

Roy Critchlow is a self-builder who is building his own home on land at Shirburn Road.

Roy said: “The nice thing about Plymouth City Council’s self-building scheme is that they aren’t out to make money, they just want to create more homes for the people of Plymouth. By taking on this project, we can free up our old house for another family. ”

Natalie Jones has had her life turned around after being given a Disabled Facilities Grant for her son Liam, aged eight, who has a muscular disorder and is now wheelchair bound. The grant has paid for a through-floor stairlift and a level access shower which gives Liam more freedom to get around the home.

Natalie said: “Living in a bigger house and using the DFG to get a lift, a hoist and a wet room, gives Liam and my other children a better quality of life.

“As Liam has grown up, having the adaptations in our home has allowed him to gain more independence, just like any other boy his age is starting to do.”

Anne Pellecalle lives in a new house on the North Prospect development, which is undergoing a £126m regeneration led by Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) in partnership with the Council and developers Kier and Barratt Homes. This is one of the flagship developments for Plymouth.

Anne said: “I have lived in North Prospect for 19 years; the regeneration project has been really good for the area as it has attracted different people and more diversity within the community.”

James Savage, Programme Manager at PCH, said: “Without the help and support of Plymouth City Council, PCH couldn’t have succeeded in building 800 new homes in just under 5 years. This partnership is vital to the future of North Prospect and the success of the remaining phases of the regeneration plan.”

What’s in the Plan:

The Council’s cabinet has approved the Plan which will see:

1,650 new homes on Council owned sites, 840 of which will be affordable
£1m empty homes initiative to tackle the blight of empty derelict housing and bring it back into use
£10m loan for 500 market, affordable and social rented houses by 2020
Approval of a £3m Housing Infrastructure Fund to support three growth areas in Plymouth
Approval of a housing loan and grant facility of up to £50m
Two year planning consent limit meaning if developers apply for consent but don’t progress housing developments they will have to reapply for planning permission
Ring-fencing of £10m of Right to Buy receipts to be reinvested in local housing.
What Plan for Homes phase 1 has already achieved:

Since the first Plan for Homes was launched in 2013, it has already delivered:

Brought 78 empty homes back into use – we will continue to build on this.
989 ‘start on sites’ and 894 under construction. Of these, 396 are affordable.
Released 138 acres of Council owned land which will deliver 1,650 new homes, 840 of which are affordable.
Identified sites for self and custom build which means 112 self-build sites are already in the pipeline in Plymouth.
Improved people’s independence through more Disabled Facilities Grants and Extra Care schemes
Watch our video to find out more here