The regeneration of Plymouth’s Civic Centre is set to serve as a ‘beacon’ for the city’s revitalisation, according to Labour MP Juke Pollard. The £51m transformation aims to convert the building into flats, attracting investment and helping the city centre thrive with more homes, businesses, and even taller buildings.

Pollard, who is also the Armed Forces Minister for Sutton and Devonport, emphasized the project’s importance in supporting the growing workforce needed at the dockyard and other defence companies. He believes that by providing high-quality homes, the city can play a key role in bolstering UK defences.

The Civic Centre, an architecturally significant yet currently dilapidated building, will be the centrepiece of the city’s regeneration. “It’s a beacon project for the regeneration of the city centre,” Pollard stated. Although he acknowledged the building’s current unattractive state, he expressed confidence in its potential to symbolize the city’s renewal.

The £51m revamp will involve creating 144 apartments on the upper floors, with £19m already secured, including £8.5m in Levelling Up funding for a new skills hub. The remaining £32m will be covered by loans and additional government funding. Pollard remains hopeful that the government will provide the remaining funds needed to complete the conversion.

Pollard emphasized the importance of the Civic Centre’s transformation in attracting further investment to the city. He added that the project will inspire future developments in Plymouth, including the addition of extra floors to existing buildings like those in Cornwall Street. The city centre could eventually feature buildings six to eight storeys high, helping to create a more vibrant, densely populated urban area.

With thousands of new homes and businesses opening, the city centre will become a safer and more vibrant place to live and work, Pollard believes. “More people living in the city centre means safer streets and more opportunities for local businesses, making Plymouth a more attractive place for investors and residents alike,” he said.

The Civic Centre has been a key part of Plymouth’s post-war reconstruction. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1962, it served as the council’s headquarters until 2014, when it was sold to developer Urban Splash for £1. In 2023, Urban Splash announced plans to turn the Civic Centre into flats, with the transformation expected to be completed by 2025. The building was sold back to the council for £1 in March 2024, after earlier plans for a conference centre were dropped.