Results
By October 1996, The Times was reporting that the PDC had made little real progress. A year later the corporation announced that MEPC plc, at the time the country's third largest property development company, had submitted a planning proposal for the Royal William Yard to include a 120,000 sq ft factory outlet retail centre based on its successful Clarks Village in Somerset. Expected to be completed in three years, the project was anticipated to create 500 new jobs and attract over 2 million visitors in its first year, boosting the city's economy by £40m. However English Heritage criticised the plans as being "fundamentally in conflict with the character of the architecture", and MEPC pulled out of the deal in September 1998. Although several proposals were made by other companies, none had come to fruition by 2000.
After the PDC was dissolved in 1998, the National Audit Office reported that during its lifetime it had built 11,900 m2 (128,000 sq ft) of commercial floor space and 99 homes. Private sector finance amounting to £8m had been leveraged in and 427 new jobs created. About 3 miles (4.8 km) of new road and footpaths were put in place. A local newspaper reported that at the Royal William Yard the PDC had installed or reinstalled all main services, including telephone and data. It had also restored the swing bridge and refurbished the Brewhouse, and improved the road access to the yard. Following the winding-up of the corporation, responsibility for the Royal William Victualling Yard devolved to the South West of England Regional Development Agency.
At Mount Batten, the corporation built an access road costing £2m and redeveloped the headland with car parking, a safe public space with toilet facilities and an amphitheatre. The company responsible for much of the work reported that the former use of the site as a Royal Air Force station and flying boat base had caused considerable ground pollution which necessitated extensive decontamination works before construction could begin.
The expenditure at Mount Wise included around £5 million (including £3.8 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund) to improve the waterfront, refurbish the salt water swimming pools and develop the urban park, which included the construction of a landmark feature with a 40m high mast and viewing platform, as well as the conservation of the park's historic redoubt and Scott Memorial. Most of this work was complete by 2000.
In 2000, Plymouth City Council's Archaeology Unit published the results of the archaeological and historical investigations and recording programmes that had taken place alongside the regeneration works.
Read more about this topic: Plymouth Development Corporation
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