140 eco-friendly, affordable homes to be developed in Plymouth

Plans for 140 new affordable homes in Plymouth have been announced as part of a £33.5m project to develop an eco-friendly neighbourhood in the seaside city.

The largest social housing landlord in the area, Plymouth Community Homes, will be leading the project in partnership with Plymouth City Council.

Development will take place on council-owned Bath Street in the Millbay regeneration area which is currently being used as a temporary car park.

A mixture of one, two and three bed energy-efficient apartments and townhouses will be built next to the city centre, bordering communal gardens and tree-lined open spaces.

The majority of homes built will be available for affordable rent, with an estimated 20% offered for shared ownership and some available through the Rent to Buy scheme.

Nick Jackson, Director of Business Services and Development at PCH, said: ‘As Plymouth’s largest housing association, we are proud to provide a high standard of homes for affordable rent and shared ownership purchase at a time when there is a significant need for good quality social housing.

‘The sustainable development planned for Bath Street will revitalise an under-used city centre site and further the regeneration of the Millbay area whilst creating modern, energy-efficient homes to help us meet the high demand for affordable housing in the city.’

The project is the latest in a line of developments planned within a partnership agreement between Plymouth Community Homes and the city council, which aims to deliver 600 new homes to the area, 444 of which will be affordable housing.

Homes will be built using the fabric-first approach to ensure reduced energy usage by maximising air tightness, increased levels of insulation and optimising natural ventilation.

Cllr Mark Shayer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance and Economy, said: ‘A huge amount of work has been going on behind the scenes to get to this stage but this is incredibly encouraging news and one which I think many, many families in Plymouth will be delighted to learn about.

‘This site has been earmarked for regeneration as part of the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan and part of this regeneration vision is to repopulate the city centre and make it a vibrant, exciting place to live in and enjoy, not just shop during the daytime. We are also supporting this through our Plan for Homes, so I am really excited to see these plans progress so far. 

‘While there is still quite a way to go, the prospect of so many new homes, including plenty of affordable options in such a key location, is extremely welcome.’

Photos by Frederica Diamanta and Plymouth Community Homes