Council trying again with former Quality Hotel site....
It’s been labelled “the best site in the world for a hotel”.
Now Plymouth Council plans a marketing push in May to finally get things moving on the former Quality Hotel site on the Hoe - ten years after it was cleared.
It was revealed this week that a two-year contract between the City Council and a developer to provide a plan for a hotel had been terminated.
But Councillor Mark Lowry told the Local Democracy Service: “(A new) hotel is desperately needed, a number of specialist surveys have been carried out confirming exceptional demand here. We have mid-range hotels but what we are missing is high-end, the likes of the Hilton and The Marriott Hotels.”
He said the site, which is currently used as a construction dumping ground, would be marketed later in the Spring.
A previously published planning statement document for the Quality Hotel site described what was envisaged as “hotel-led mixed-use regeneration, including about 88 homes and active ground floor uses, which support the tourism role of the area. Other complementary uses as part of the overall proposal could include conference space, offices, cafes and small-scale retail uses.
Council approves proposed changes to parking charges
Plymouth Council cabinet members have approved changes to the city’s parking fees and arrangements to help meet significant budget challenges while continuing to deliver service improvement - as a petition opposed to the proposals at one site has been signed by hundreds of people.
As revealed in last week’s The Beagle, the proposals aim to maintain the income needed to continue delivering key parking services in spite of increasing costs, as well as make charges more consistent and improve the overall customer experience.
The increases include on-street permits, Blue Badge parking on The Hoe Esplanade, and fees at all coastal car parks (Jennycliff, Mount Batten and Strand Street) for stays of over one hour.
But a petition calling for three hours of free parking at Jennycliff has exceeded 900 signatures.
It was started by Holly Hawken, and states: “We urge the local council to consider the needs of both visitors and businesses by making this change. Let's make Jennycliff car park free for three hours, aligning it with the amenities available at The Broadway and supporting our local community.
“Please sign this petition to help create a fair and supportive parking policy at Jennycliff car park. Together, we can make a difference.”
Star Spangled Janners!
By The Beagle U.S. correspondent, 'Train Daddy'
Did you know that love for our local football team extends well beyond the boundaries of PL2 and even the UK?!
ArgyleUSA is a passionate community of (mainly) US and Canada-based expat and native Argyle fans, whose growing membership includes club Chairman and owner, Simon Hallett.
The group was founded by Ken Seelman and Troy Maine, two American fans that found out by chance that each supported the Pilgrims, drawn to the club through ancestral connections and a general love of 'soccer' (as it's known across the pond.)
Since humble pre-Covid beginnings, the group has expanded to around 80 active members with sub-chapters across North America. Under the overall nickname of Star Spangled Janners each sub-chapter boasts its own identity with such great names (and stickers) as DC Green and White House (Washington), Barmy Tamariami (St Pete and Boca Raton, Florida) and the Green Cheeseheads of (Wisconsin).
The group holds a virtual get-together every match day to watch Argyle via zoom and there's an annual in-person event that involves watching the game, a pub crawl, a team curry and talk about all things green and white.
The most recent in-person event was held in St Pete, Florida, during which Simon Hallett unveiled a plaque in Argyle St, one fan's shrine to Plymouth Argyle, some 4,000 miles from Home Park. A great time was had by all although Argyle fluffed their lines by losing to Stockport
AUSA would love for any visiting Janners to reach out next time they are across the pond. Look them up at www.argyleusa.com
A roundup of other news from Plymouth waterside:
🚨🚨 Police have shared video footage of a man they want to speak to about a serious sexual assault in Peacock Lane (near to Miller & Carter). It happened between 8am and 9am on Tuesday 10 February and was reported to police on Monday 9 March. More on the appeal here
🌕🌕 Fancy floating on Tinside Lido on an inflatable double bed, cocooned with a blanket and eye mask, while immersed in live sound therapy - all beneath a full moon? Wednesday 29th July - details here from Serenity Waves
🛳️🛳️ At least ten cruise ships are heading to Plymouth this summer. The first visit in on April 29 when Seabourn Ovation, which carries more than 800 passengers, arrives at 9am. Meanwhile the largest visitor is Aurora, making a return to The Sound with more than 2,000 travellers on the morning of July 23.
Comments ()