Dreams:
Chapter 2 - Our Neighbourhood
Our Past
Devonport grew from a small 17th century settlement surrounding the Royal
Dockyard to a large self-governing County Borough of 84,000 people by the 19005.
In 1914 Devonport was amalgamated with the town of Plymouth to make up the County
Borough of Plymouth, the area subsequently being renamed the City of Plymouth in
1928. Devonport has both a rich architectural and social history. The Naval Base
and Dockyard were responsible for creating and shaping the area historically and
continue to do so today. During the Second World War severe bombing, subsequent
redevelopment in response to an urgent need for housing, and further expansion of
the Dockyard means little of the original 18th and 19th century town remains today.
By 1956 the Dockyard had expanded to employ over 20,000 people, many of whom lived
locally. Since the end of the Cold War, in the mid 1980'5, the Dockyard workforce
had shrunk in size to its present level of 4000 (of which only approximately 100
live locally). The majority of the workforce now commute from other parts of Plymouth
and the wider South-West.
Although the Dockyard has shrunk in terms of its workforce, the area occupied by
the Yard remains the same, much of it now lying redun-dant or used only for storage.
A significant part of the NDC area remains closed off behind barbed-wire topped
walls. Local residents believe the Dockyard wall is a major barrier to the redevelopment
of their area and see the demolition of the wall, and the subsequent reclamation
of land, as one of their main priorities. The 1960's saw large-scale redevelopment
of Devonport with new Council property built on Ker Street, James Street, Mount
Street, and Clowance Street and Pembroke Street.
In the early 1990s, Plymouth City Council demolished Clowance House and Prospect
Row Flats, replacing them with Westcountry Housing Association properties. Refurbishment
of Pottery Quay and Cornwall/Cannon Street was carried out, together with environmental
works around Devonport Guildhall, James Street and the partial pedestrianisation
of Marlborough Street.
In 1993 a three-year Estate Action Programme was carried out to refurbish 160 properties
in Pembroke Street. This area has become a model of best practice for tenant management,
not only in Plymouth, but nationally. This was accompanied by an extensive programme
of community designed public artworks which was extended into the adjoining Greenlink
project (which included a ceremonial arch, street mosaic, event space and play park).
In the mid 1990s, Welcome Hall was refurbished as a community facility and as the
first home of Routeways, which by the end of the 1990s had moved into new premises
at the Routeways Centre (the former Crown Hotel).
From 1993-1998, both the Ply-mouth Development Corporation and the Plymouth Task
Force operated within the Devonport area. The Plymouth Development Corporation acquired
the South part of Mount Wise and demolished the former married quarters and NAAFI
buildings. The lower sites were developed by Housing Associations, while Mount Wise
and the surrounding park were transformed into a new open space and an original
open air pool completely rebuilt together with the provision of new facilities for
boatmen and a new pier at Mutton Cove. This work was funded as part of a Heritage
Lottery Urban Parks scheme.
Most recently, the Single Regeneration Budget programme had contributed to the refurbishment
of Tamar, Tavy and Lynher tower blocks and flats and maisonettes in George and Clowance
Streets. Finally the clearance of Cornwall/Cannon Street is underway, which will
result in 100 new Devon and Cornwall Housing Association houses, together with private
housing.
Our People
Our strengths are vested in our people. The area has over 7000 residents
(3.8% of the population of Plymouth) a large proportion of which are very young,
with nearly 30% under 16 compared to the national figure of 20%. Our young people
provide tremendous vibrancy, energy and enthusiasm- strengths which will be needed
over the coming years as we deliver this wide-ranging :NDC Plan.
A high proportion of our households comprise a single person (35.5% compared to
12% in Plymouth) and 1.8% of our population are from ethnic minorities : with Black
African and Black Caribbean comprising the main ethnic groups -significantly higher
than in the rest of Plymouth.
Our Area
Our area is distinct and diverse. Until the 1920s, Devonport was a separate
town and it retains a distinct identity today. The area lies 1.5 miles west of Plymouth
City Centre. Even today there remain examples of the area's former independence
and grandeur, such as the Devonport Guildhall and Cumberland ~ Duke Street shop
frontages. The area is currently dominated by large tracts of a high density, post-war
council housing and by Ministry of Defence (MOD) land (South Yard). Some 120 small
local businesses are dotted around Devonport with commercial uses concentrated along
the eastern end of Richmond Walk and the business units in the north of the area.
(See map on following page).
The Level of Impact and Lessons Learnt
Despite various efforts to regenerate Devonport,
the area continues to experience tremendous problems. The large-scale housing redevelopments
of the 1960's are becoming increasingly unpopular and difficult to manage.
More recent housing improvements have been more successful, but their impact has
been dissipated by a piece-meal approach and the failure to develop a comprehensive
programme of social and economic measures to compliment purely physical housing
improvements. We believe that past regeneration initiatives have not worked because
the community has been untouched by existing programmes -our lives have not changed
substantially as a result of the improvement programmes carried out.
Despite the strength of our diversity and our close proximity to the city centre,
our neighbourhood is economically and socially isolated. Cynicism and mistrust of
public services is endemic. Agencies are seen to be unresponsive and, until very
recently, there appears to have been little co-ordinated activity between them.
Anti-social behaviour and fear of crime affects residents and local businesses alike.
Unemployment is high and benefit dependency widespread. Educational achievement
and skill levels are generally low and, as our baseline statistics demonstrate,
residents suffer particularly poor health.
As a result of this, our neighbourhood is perceived by many local residents and
outsiders as an undesirable place to live and work. Housing conditions have deteriorated
considerably in receil years, despi e 'he public inves men programmes detailed earlier.
Our public housing has a very high turnover and the highest concentration of voids
in Plymouth. Our businesses are uncertain whether to invest in the area or to leave
and those that are operating in the area do not employ local people in any appreciable
numbers.
Community Momentum and Desire
.
The strength of this Delivery Plan lies in the intimate
involvement of the Devonport community in its preparation. From the outset, our
message was clear 'we want things to change'. Prior to NDC, our community had already
demonstrated their ability to contribute and take the lead in a number of local
initiatives and projects including Mount Wise Community Action Planning Event (CAPE),
the Urban Village Study and the Greenlink Community Arts Project.
The initial momentum came from a group of local residents and workers drawn from
across the area. They built on the lessons of the past and their involvement in
Urban Village, the Mount Wise CAPE and SRB programmes. Very soon the concerns about
a divided community, flagged up by Plymouth 2020 in selecting Devonport as the area
to be put forward for NDC, dissolved. Issues about involving all sections of the
community are fully acknowledged and there is little talk now of a division between
Mount Wise and Granby or one side of the street against the other.
As the NDC process has developed community involvement has grown, increasing the
unity and sense of purpose of local people. A wider cross section of the community
has now joined the 'Devonport Five' in attending Steering Group meetings, including
representatives from black and ethnic minorities and young people. In addition,
our six focus groups contain a strong community presence with a number being chaired
by local people.
As well as involvement in meetings, local people have become involved in the Practical
side of preparing the delivery plan. For example, residents took part in the household
survey at all stages from design to data inputting. Residents also organised a series
of 'Fun Days' which brought the community together to gauge their opinions.
Local people have published regular NDC newsletters, delivered to every household
in the area, which have proved vital in keeping the community both informed and
involved. Those most engaged in the process have been tireless in their networking
and in consulting with individual groups within the area. In addition, the opening
of a shop in Marlborough Street, as a permanent base and source of information,
has increasingly been the focus of activity and engagement in the process. The Time
Line included at Appendix G illustrates the developmental stages we have gone through
in preparing both the Phase 1 Bid and this Delivery Plan.
As part of our consultation we commissioned work to develop a Cultural Plan. This
plan seeks to include the arts, sport, media, heritage and tourism in an integrated
programme of activity which we believe will get people involved in the wider NDC
process. Our Cultural Plan is being created as part of the delivery mechanism and
we see it as a vital tool in raising self confidence levels, broadening experience
and increasing involvement -key elements of achieving sustainable community regeneration.
Members of the Partnership
The process of guiding the NDC bid in Plymouth has been
overseen by the Plymouth 2020 Partnership, (Plymouth's 'Local Strategic Partnership').
This partnership was the body responsible for the selection process from which Devonport
emerged as the area within Plymouth to put together an NDC programme. The Plymouth
2020 Partnership has been kept fully informed and has supported the progress we
have made .
The process has been driven, however, very much from the bottom up, by the local
community themselves. The initial proposal to the Plymouth 2020 Partnership was
formulated by "The Devonport Five", who were supported by a wide range of other
residents and community groups from right across the Devonport area.
This group were quickly supported by the City Council in its role as 'Community
Mentor' and other key agencies, notably GOSW, the Benefits Agency, the Employment
Service, Working Links, the Police, the Health Action Zone and Plymouth Community
Safety Partnership. Close links were also formed with what was initially a separate
partnership involved in bringing forward 'Urban Village' proposals, in prticular
South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and the Princes Foundation.
Since the early stages a wide range of other partners have joined the process, including
Routeways Centre, Millfields and Wolseley Community Economic Development Trust,
Key ham Community Partnership, Devon & Cornwall Refugee Support Council, Faith Groups,
local Schools, Action Zones, Health Authority, Primary Care Group, Groundwork Trust,
Plymouth College of Further Education, local businesses and many, many others. The
main point of contact has been through six focus groups which have been tasked with
examining in detail issues and proposals and have concentrated on the following
subject areas:-
1. Employment, Education, Training and Business Support
2. Health, Social Issues, Community and Leisure
3. Physical Environment, including Housing
4. Crime and Community Safety
5. Youth
6. Neighbourhood Management
A Steering Group was formed during the Phase 1 stage, and this comprised both residents
and representatives from all of the groups and agencies mentioned above. The Steering
Group has been kept deliberately open and flexible so that anyone in the community
can join and make a real difference to the process .
This has been a great strength in developing the Delivery Plan and has ensured that
issues of concern to local people have remained at the heart of the Delivery Plan.
It was agreed early in the process that longer term we would move towards an independent
company or Charitable Trust structure.
Currently a Shadow Board has been formed which is in the process of drawing up a
formal constitution and putting in place structures which can oversee and deliver
regeneration programmes in the Devonport area for the foreseeable future, and beyond
the 10 years of NDC. An important part of this involves bringing together the previously
separate NDC and Urban Village processes. The structure which emerges will also
need to be capable of embracing other initiatives as and when they arise.
The Shadow Board currently comprises a majority of local residents (including the
Devonport 5) drawn from across the NDC area, a faith group member and representatives
drawn from the black and ethnic minority community. The Shadow Board includes three
City Councillors, two local business people, representatives from the SW RDA, the
Princes Foundation, Devon and Cornwall Police, the South & West Devon Health Authority
and Government Office for the South West. The Shadow Board is supported by a dedicated
staff team, currently employed through PCC but which will eventually be employed
directly by a Regeneration Company or Trust.
Whilst the informality and openness of focus groups and the Steering Group have
added to the strength of the Partnership, it has been realized that this can seem
intimidating to sections of our community, eg vulnerable and excluded groups. The
Steering Group has recently refocused its attention on the need to make special
efforts to engage these groups both in the formal structures and in obtaining a
wider cross-section of opinion. These points will be fundamental when moving to
the more formal arrangements of a Devonport Regeneration Company or Charitable Trust.
Chapters ...
1. Forward, Summary; Vision
2. Devonport - Our neighbourhood
3. Devonport - The Present
4. Devonport - The Future
5. Devonport - The Plans
6. The Forward Strategy
7. How the Plan will be Delivered