Redrow Redrow finishes construction at Devonport in Plymouth
Redrow has completed construction at the £70m ($94m) Vision development in Devonport, Plymouth. The 464-property project, in the former Royal Navy South Yard Enclave, is home to over 1,100 people and includes homes, offices, shops and a 42-flat extra care housing block. Redrow also invested £700,000 towards the restoration of the local market hall and clock tower, which is to become a digital hub, and donated more than £3.7m towards education, transport and roads in the area.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

Invalid email Something went wrong, please try again later.

Get the pick of the week's best stories and fascinating features direct to your inbox every Saturday and Sunday morning in our exclusive Weekender newsletter

The budget would have been a disappointing blow to anyone hoping for major investment in the South West - the exception was a very welcome £79million for the A30 St Austell link road.

Speaking at the recent Western Morning News’ Business Awards, held in St Mellion, Cornwall on November 16, Gary Streeter, MP for South West Devon said the region had three priorities: “Infrastructure, infrastructure and infrastructure.”

And we agree. A key aim of the #BackTheSouthWest campaign is to secure investment so the region can reach its potential.

And there could be good news in the budget, if you scour the small print.

For example, the region could tap into the £316billion National Infrastructure Productivity Fund, extended for another year, £500million for AI, 5G and Full Fibre Broadband, half of the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund designed to improve transport links and £1billion being made available of discounted lending for high value infrastructure projects.

For Back The South West campaigners, the link between investment and prosperity is clear.

Michael Beadel is chairman and a partner in the real estate team at Stephens Scown. The firm is a partner in the Back The South West Campaign.

He said: “History has shown that regions which continue to invest in their infrastructure, even in uncertain times, are more likely to prosper. The South West has so much to offer, but to reach our full potential it is crucial for public spending and private investment in our big infrastructure projects to continue.”

Let's take a look at the big projects currently under way that are transforming the region.

Inward investment is unlocking hundreds of jobs for Exeter in the shape of the Ikea store, set to open next year and the vast regional distribution centre for Lidl that has opened just in time for Christmas.

The vast investment at Exeter and East Devon Growth Point, Skypark and Exeter Science Park is creating a cluster for innovative businesses and housing for its relatively well-paid workers.

In Plymouth, Oceansgate is showing how the region can turn its seascape into a specialism with the UK’s pioneering marine hub and in Newquay, Cornwall’s bid to become a UK spaceport is creating huge opportunities for like minded businesses.

These developments are widely welcomed but there is still so much more we need to do to secure the investment we need to create the Great South West.

Chairman of the Heart of the South West LEP, Steve Hindley CBE DL, said: “We are passionate about our area; the Heart of the South West and the wider Great South West region, and we will continue to strive fervently to get our true potential recognised.”

(Image: Kier)

A30 – Temple, Cornwall

Value: £60million

Completion: Current phase completes this winter but next phase of the A30 dualling could start in 2020.

The three-mile section of road over Bodmin Moor and Preeze Cross Bridge was formally declared open for business on July 14, bringing to an end two years of roadworks misery. Cardinham Bridge opened to traffic three days later.

The first major benefit of the new road was the fact that on the first weekend of the school summer holidays, traffic on the A30 was flowing freely.

In previous years, tailbacks of over 10 miles would have been witnessed in the switch from dual to single carriageway on the approach to the original road or the roadworks.

The A30 road was completed ahead of a revised schedule after a project which suffered delays when an exceptionally wet winter undermined some of the initial work.

During its busiest time, the road carries around 40,000 vehicles a day, meaning that roughly 280,000 cars, lorries, camper vans, caravans and motorbikes could have trundled along the new stretch in the first week.

The horrendous congestion caused by the previous road layout - a dual carriageway narrowing to a single lane - was estimated to have cost businesses, residents and visitors £235 million a year.

However, the successful completion of the scheme is expected to bring more than £134million into the Cornish economy - meaning that in just seven days the new road could have provided a £2.5million boost.

Around 70% of residents in Cornwall and more than 80% of workers are based to the west of Temple, with more than three quarters of businesses surveyed at the start of the scheme predicting that it would have a positive impact on their business.

The construction on the new dual carriageway involved the cutting of 300,000 tons of earth, equivalent to filling 226 Olympic sized swimming pools, and 130,000sqm of asphalt, the equivalent of surfacing 18 Wembley-sized football pitches and 15,000 metres of vehicle safety barrier equivalent to the distance between Chiverton Cross to Mitchell.

The contractors have also built 5,500 metres of Cornish hedge as part of the environmental works, and planted 15,000 trees and shrubs and 95,000 square metres of seeding, equivalent to seeding 13 Wembley-sized football pitches.

Aerohub – Newquay Airport : Phase 1

Budget: £7m

Completion: 2020.

As part of the diversification strategy for Cornwall Airport Newquay, Cornwall Development Company working on delivering the Aerohub Enterprise Zone project based at Newquay airport.

A designated Enterprise Zone, Aerohub offers the largest planning free development site in the UK, with over 348 acres of development land.

Combined with uncongested and unrestricted airspace, one of the UK’s longest runways, direct maritime access, and an unparalleled aviation environment, Aerohub is the best location in Europe for aerospace businesses.

Work on the Aerohub Business Park at Cornwall Airport Newquay started this year, and will be completed in early 2019. The first phase of the project will include a three-storey landmark office building and a further eight business and light industrial units.

The Aerohub Business Park is located on the south side of the airport and falls within the UK's only aviation-focused Enterprise Zone. Enterprise Zones were created by the Government in 2011 to boost business investment and job creation. Once fully developed the business park could support up to 1,000 jobs.

The new £7.4million project will address the lack of high-quality employment space that is perceived to be a real barrier to growth in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Of that figure £4.3 million is coming in the form of a grant from the current round of European funding and will be matched by £3.1 million of investment from Cornwall Council.

Aerohub is now home to 14 businesses employing more than 450 people at an average annual wage of £33,400 - almost twice the average wage in Cornwall.

The business park will become the gateway to the 850-acre site Enterprise Zone, which is a focus for future flight technologies and aims to become a future UK Spaceport.

The Aerohub is also hoping to host the UK’s first spaceport and tap into the £25bn spaceflight launch market by 2020.

Aerohub Enterprise Zone manager Miles Carden and the man behind Cornwall's spaceport bid to the government, said: “There's something intangible about space flights and space travel. We all relate to the Apollo programme and the Man on the Moon. It's right there in people's psyche.

“Becoming Britain's first spaceport is a 25-year project which could create 5,000 highly paid jobs in Cornwall. But it won't happen overnight. It will happen in phases and the first phase will still deliver hundreds of jobs.”

In the summer it was announced that Orbital Access Limited (OAL) has teamed up with Spaceport Cornwall – the group which includes Cornwall Airport Newquay and Goonhilly Earth Station, on the Lizard peninsula.

News of the partnership was announced at the UK Space Conference in Manchester. It means OAL will work alongside Spaceport Cornwall as its principle operator on the dream to develop a system where aircraft can be used to launch satellites into orbit.

Anchorwood Bank, Barnstaple

Value: £60million

Completion: Retail units by 2018 and residential development in 2019

One of the biggest commercial developments in recent years in North Devon, Anchorwood Bank in Barnstaple, formerly home to Shapland and Petter, will host 172 houses and a retail area with shops and restaurants.

An Asda store opened on site in November last year, the first spade has gone in the ground for the residential development and a large steel structure which will house the shopping district has been erected.

The development is headed by social housing provider North Devon Homes with partners Wessex Investors and Pearce Construction.

It is hoped that the housing development, shopping and restaurant area, will transform a derelict site into a vibrant, waterside space.

(Image: Paul Slater Images)

Beckley Point, Plymouth

Value: £30.79million

Completion: January 2018

What is the tallest building in the South West, this 505-bed student accommodation block, in the centre of Plymouth, is managed by The Student Housing Company, part of leading provider Global Student Accommodation (GSA).

Construction on the project started on the August 15, 2015, and is being delivered by developer Kier Group.

All internal work was completed in September 2017, and completion of the external works is expected by the end of January 2018.

With the tip of the tower reaching 78 metres high, the 23-storey tower will be the region’s tallest building.

With students already living in the tower, more than 100 have already rebooked for the 2018/19 academic year.

Rooms cost about £8,000 for a 45-week tenancy, but enjoy spectacular views.

Students are housed in a combination of single en-suite studios, double bedroomed “twodios”, and “clusters” where six bedrooms share a kitchen and living area.

There are communal study and common rooms, games and “chill-out” spaces, and even a cinema.

The skyscraper is staffed around the clock, with a team of 10 full-time workers including managers, cleaners and maintenance roles.

And topping the pile is the 23rd storey Sky Lounge, which has panoramic views and will be available to the public for hire.

The pioneering technology behind the £60million Mayflower Water Treatment Works In March next year South West Water will publish its business proposals for 2020-25 for public consultation as part of the water industry price review, which occurs every five years. The flagship project for the current 2015-20 period is the Mayflower Water Treatment Works. This £60m infrastructure project means that by this time next year Plymouth and the surrounding area will be enjoying tap water treated using advanced technology found nowhere else in the UK. Around two and a half years in construction, the Mayflower Water Treatment Works is designed to deliver high quality drinking water to the area in a more efficient and environmentally sustainable way than ever before. The existing water treatment works at Crownhill was built in the 1950s and is reaching the end of its useful life. Water treatment technology and standards have improved dramatically since it was built, the city’s population has grown significantly, and, as a result of urbanisation, the site’s location would make further expansion difficult. Work on its replacement began back in 2013, with the setting up of a research facility to trial ‘ceramic membrane filtration’ - an innovative treatment process which is less chemical and energy-intensive than traditional methods. Ceramic membranes are durable, have a long working life (they have been operating in Japan for more than 20 years) and require minimal support and maintenance, making them a cost-effective alternative. Over the course of 18 months, a dedicated team from South West Water worked in close collaboration with Dutch water treatment specialists PWNT to trial the process with water from a range of local sources including Burrator reservoir, the River Tavy and River Tamar. The pilot proved successful and planning began for the new works. A 24-acre site on the edge of Roborough was identified as the location for the build – this already had the benefit of planning approval, granted in 1991, for a new water treatment works. Ahead of construction, South West Water enlisted a team of specialist ecologists to ensure there would be minimal impact on wildlife and habitats. Slow worms, adders, grass snakes and lizards were among the animals safely captured and re-homed, one-way badger ‘gates’ were installed, and the initial site clearance was carried out using hand tools under the careful supervision of the experts. By carrying out the clearance over winter there was no danger of disturbing any nesting birds. Trees with the potential to support roosting bats were carefully inspected and ‘soft-felled’ to minimise disturbance. In addition to the works itself, construction has also involved the laying of seven kilometres of water mains pipeline and the addition of a hydro-electric plant and solar panels which will provide a proportion of onsite energy, thereby helping reduce carbon emissions. Delivery is on schedule by South West Water’s H5O engineering delivery alliance (including Arcadis, Pell Frischmann and Balfour Beatty as the main construction contractor alongside Interserve) and PWNT. During the construction phase, the project has sustained more than 150 jobs. The new works will be capable of producing up to 90 million litres (megalitres) every day and will ensure a sustainable supply of high quality drinking water to homes and businesses for decades to come.

Hinkley Point C Nuclear Plant, Somerset.

Value: £19.6bn

Completion: First nuclear reactor scheduled for completion in 2025

On our doorstep is Europe’s biggest construction project with 2,000 workers every day currently on site.

The construction will provide 25,000 jobs and is set to have a major impact across the region with opportunities in the construction, supply chain and associated businesses.

Around £435 million worth of contracts have been signed so far with businesses in the region.

There are a number of initiatives under way to ensure the region has the right skills to meet the demand that is predicted to drain workers across Devon and Cornwall. At its peak, 5,600 people will work on site and the finished power plant will employ 900 people.

Built by EDF and its partner, costs over the coming years will rise to around £19.6bn after an announcement earlier this year that the project is likely to be over time by 15 months and over budget by £1.5billion.

The French state-controlled energy firm is funding two-thirds of the plant with China investing the rest.

In return, EDF will receive a guaranteed price for Hinkley's electricity for 35 years in a complex subsidy arrangement.

The construction has not been without controversy.

The level of subsidy has been criticised by experts and the National Audit Office because it guarantees the company a revenue of £92.50 per megawatt-hour of power, well above current market prices.

The reliance on nuclear energy has also been criticised by environmental campaigners who argue that the Government should instead be investing in solar and wind energy.

(Image: Neale Abbott/aeroplaneviews.co.uk)

Ikea, Exeter

Value: £80million

Completion: Summer 2018

The wait for an Ikea west of Bristol is almost over.

It will be the Swedish chain’s 21st store and will employ around 250 staff.

The development off the A379 also includes plans for 220 new homes at Newcourt.

The cash contribution to the city's Community Infrastructure Levy amounts to £3,921,002.

Lidl Regional Distribution Centre, Exeter

Value: £55million

Completion: November 2017

The new, 50,000 m² hub in the Exeter Gateway business park close to Junction 29 of M5 comes as part of Lidl’s wider investment and modernisation programme across the South West. Lidl was given planning approval in June last year after Sainsbury's scrapped a plan to build a depot there.

Creating 500 jobs, the Regional Distribution Centre will serve Lidl stores from Penzance to as far as Burnham-on-Sea and across to Weymouth, with 1,700 pallets of products projected to go through its premises every day.

It is phase one of a scheme with planning permission for a further 110,000 sq m of logistics and distribution space in phase two of the development secured this September.

The massive development on land at Hayes Farm would create between 1,530 and 1,817 new jobs and contribute an extra £90 to £105m to the regional economy, the applicants, the Church Commissioners For England claim.

Infrastructure will take a step forward post Brexit As the region weighs up what life may the look like in the region post Brexit, infrastructure features largely on the horizon, says Richard Walford, Foot Anstey Partner and Head of Property, Infrastructure and Construction The good news is that, as we all know, the South West is an attractive place for people to live and work. The challenge is to encourage potential movers to follow up sentiment with action and take the steps to actually relocate and build a life in the region. For some parts of the South West the promotion of our region is working. I recently attended a meeting of the Property Chamber at Exeter City Council and was impressed truly with the success of the City. Relatively well connected by roads and rail and with a forward thinking, pro-development Council, Exeter claims the 4th highest rate of housing growth of any city in the UK. Alongside this it has made gains in productivity, jobs and population growth. Exeter's good fortune is a cause for celebration but it is important to understand what underlies the growth in order that the region's politicians and businesses don’t overlook, or even worse, kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Being an attractive location set in the midst of a region blessed with great natural beauty helps but it is Exeter's comparative success compared to the rest of the region that is interesting. In my role I deal with a range of businesses daily, both those already within as well as those looking to relocate to the region. For all of these businesses Exeter's transport infrastructure at the end of the M5 and the more navigable part of the high speed rail network are decisive factors that make Exeter the place of choice to locate a South West hub or headquarters. Businesses that are based or choose to develop there have fared very well. Burrington Estates, for example who moved to Exeter in 2011 has very quickly established itself as a high quality developer of commercial and residential sites. Looking ahead to a post Brexit world, the region's authorities are recognising the need to come together and combine their efforts to stand up for the peninsula. The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan and Great South West are two such initiatives. It is great to see the willingness to cooperate and lobby on behalf of the whole region. But what cannot be ignored is what these bodies lobby for. Whilst politically it may be pragmatic to spread the jam, all the evidence on the impact of infrastructure points to the importance of focussing on central growth hubs; be that London, Manchester, Bristol or perhaps even Exeter. Infrastructure projects on the scale required to truly unlock the full potential of the South West economy (think A303 upgrade or fast rail link to Plymouth) cannot be fully funded by the private sector. They will require public funding from both the region and Westminster. Garnering that support will require close cooperation and targeted campaigns of the regions decision makers. The sooner the region can set aside its local concerns and differences and fully throw its weight behind those campaigns, the better.

The huge chunk of land is earmarked for more storage and distribution warehouses, offices and business space as part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point.

As for Lidl, it says it is continuing to invest in the South West region, with half of its stores being refurbished in the next year.

The retailer has also confirmed contracts with 14 suppliers, including Wyke Farms, County Confectionery , Kanes Foods and Crediton Dairy in the region, which will be worth over £100million across the next five years with extensive export opportunities to Lidl markets.

Lidl's regional director Mark Henry said: “The South West is an important region for Lidl and it’s an area where we’ve experienced particularly strong growth.”

Lidl says it has ambitious expansion plans across the UK, with an investment aim of £1.45bn by 2019. Regional Distribution Centres will make up a significant part of this objective, with this latest RDC opening becoming the 12th in the Lidl portfolio.

And it is good news for workers too. Lidl has made a pledge to pay the Living Wage Foundation’s Real Living Wage, now £8.75 an hour.

How Cornwall is being transformed by its mining future Cornwall is on the brink of a transformation into a world class centre of excellence in modern mining and a potential return to the glory days of mining in the county, writes Michael Beadel is chairman of Stephens Scown LLP. This renaissance couldn’t have come at a better time. As a supporter of the Back The South West campaign, I am a passionate believer in the need for the region to pull together and get behind the sectors and industries that are going to secure jobs for the future. The demand for lithium is set to soar, driven by the need for lithium-ion batteries for the growing electric car market. The price of lithium has tripled in the past 18 months, rising to US$16,000-18,000 per tonne. Recent studies have suggested that the price could increase by 16% year on year until at least 2025. If this happens, the price of lithium will have grown the fastest of any commodity in the last 100 years. And Cornwall could be at the centre of this development. Cornish Lithium’s exploration is being focused on the underground hot springs of Cornwall, where lithium is dissolved in liquid brines. What makes this development all the more exciting is that it comes on the back of several years of good news for mining in the South West. Whilst china clay extraction, led in Cornwall by Imerys Minerals, continued to be an important part of the local economy, metal mining started again in 2015 with Wolf Minerals’ major tungsten and tin project, the Drakelands mine in Devon, going into production. This was an historic achievement: the first metal mine to open in the UK for 45 years. The heavy lifting on the Wolf Minerals project by all those involved has very greatly advanced the viability of metal mining in the UK. The benefit to the locality has been very real – more than 200 people are permanently employed at Drakelands, many of them local people, and including some who had previously emigrated in search of mining work but have now been able to return to their home country. Additional indirect UK jobs created are estimated at approximately 1,000. Then, in the summer of 2016, Strongbow Exploration achieved another momentous step for Cornwall, in saving the third largest tin deposit in the world from extinction. A deal was signed to buy the mineral rights and assets necessary for South Crofty to become a producing mine again. Other significant operators in the sector include Cornwall Resources Limited (the JV between Strategic Minerals plc and New Age Exploration Limited), which started its exploration drilling programme at Redmoor, near Callington in Cornwall, in March 2017. There will be many who hope, like me, that there is a new dawn for mining in the South West, supported by local and central government, which brings much needed jobs for Cornwall.

(Image: Penny Cross)

Oceansgate Marine Hub, Plymouth

Value: Phase 1: £7.8million

Completion: Phase 1: End of 2017

Work on two rows of industrial units and a three-story office block only began in January 2017.

But by March the team from Midas had dug foundations and even begun assembling the steel skeleton for the office building.

The area, once the heart of Devonport, had been destroyed and was then turned into the post-war South Yard naval site.

But now it will become offices, labs and light industrial units.

The Enterprise Zone marine hub is expected to give Plymouth’s economy a mighty shot in the arm, providing world class facilities for marine manufacturing and engineering companies.

With two more phases to follow the project has already attracted so many firms the overall scheme could be completed within five years creating thousands of jobs.

Midas, which has about 60 staff working on the patch, is expecting to hand the Phase One buildings back to Plymouth City Council in December 2017, to be rented out to firms.

The initial phase of Oceansgate will deliver 1,270sq m of office space, over the three floors, which will be leased to one firm, or several, by Plymouth City Council.

Up to 14 firms could move in – or one company could take the entire space.

The entire site is 35 hectares – five times the size of Royal William Yard.

Skypark, Exeter

Value: £210million

Completion: Current phase completes this Autumn with work continuing over the 20 years

Skypark is being billed as the South West’s most significant Business Park development combining office, industrial and distribution space with hotel, local facilities and a biomass and gas combined heat and power plant in a landscaped environment of over 100 acres.

Over the next 20 years, this £210 million development is predicted to create up to 6,500 new jobs with a significant impact on the local economy as part of the wider Exeter and East Devon New Growth Point initiative.

The first tenant in the first office building, which offers 17,142 sq ft of employment space, is due to move on site in December.

Software development company Oneserve is marking a new era for the company in the move with plans to increase its workforce to 60 in the coming years.

Work on the flagship DCH headquarters is well underway and the Ambulance Special Operations Centre (ASOC West) and DPD UK’s new 60,000 sq ft distribution centre will be located there.

The development, spearheaded by regeneration specialists St Modwen and Devon County Council, follows £3.5million of investment in road and services infrastructure at Skypark and the five-acre public realm area, including trim trail exercise stations.

Ian Guy, senior development manager for St Modwen and Devon County Council’s development partner for the £210m Skypark development, said:

“Skypark reflects demand for good quality commercial space in the South West through the development of the Enterprise Zone which will further enhance the site’s commercial appeal and help to attract more inward investment and business occupiers to the area in the long term.

“The new office available at Skypark is part of our ongoing programme of speculative building for the South West , which currently comprises over 180,000 sq ft of new commercial space, providing a solid platform from which to generate sizeable income and long term value right across the region. When the development completes, in the next 20 years, Skypark will provide up to 1.4 million sq ft of industrial and office space with potential for up to 6,500 jobs.”

STEM Regional Centre of Excellence is a game changer New in 2017, City College Plymouth’s Regional Centre of Excellence for STEM is the most significant investment in the city’s skills infrastructure for many years. The £13million state-of-the-art facility, which has been shortlisted for the Best New Building at this year’s Abercrombie Awards, provides a flexible learning environment that simulates ‘real work’ scenarios with industry-standard workshops, science and sport laboratories and media studios. It is equipped with high-tech resources to support a broader and more relevant STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) curriculum. The centre will have a huge impact on the training and education of STEM-related subjects for the city and the wider region. It will focus on the city’s priority STEM sectors to promote and provide growth and investment in skills development, connectivity and innovation. This will include support for job creation, particularly in high-growth sectors, to drive productivity and promote enterprise. These aspirations are an integral part of the STEM Plymouth Strategic Plan, helping to ensure Britain’s Ocean City is recognised as a world leader in STEM development. The success of the new centre will depend in no small measure on the continued involvement of more than 200 employers who are working with the College to create Plymouth’s future workforce. The College’s commitment is to train and develop those young people and adults required by local employers and the city’s economy, to ensure a bright future ahead for all. Phil Davies, Principal and Chief Executive of City College, said: The £13million facility is the greatest investment in skills training in Plymouth for many years. It is the College’s direct response to the skills shortages that have been identified in the region’s economic strategies and planning over the past decade. With a greater emphasis on STEM skills, the College is now perfectly placed to support young people and businesses who need the next generation of students to be equipped with STEM-related skills and knowledge. “I extend my thanks to our funders, the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership, Plymouth City Council and the Regional Growth Fund, and to all our employer partners for making this Regional Centre of Excellence a reality.” Chris Garcia, Heart of the South West LEP Chief Executive, said: “This was one of our first Growth Deal projects to get off the ground, helped by our funding of £5.43m. In the early days of the LEP we recognised that our area’s labour market would benefit from a significant injection of skills in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and maths to meet the demands of the growing economy. “This new centre offers students state-of-the-art facilities to encourage young people to take up STEM subjects and enable those already in work to upskill and take on higher value careers.” The STEM Regional Centre of Excellence is just one of a number of capital projects recently completed or under way at Devon’s four principal further and higher education colleges. Together, City College Plymouth, Exeter College, Petroc and South Devon College make up the Devon Colleges Group (DCG), launched a year ago with a shared vision focussed on enhancing skills, raising aspirations and driving regional economic growth and productivity. Through their collaboration, the Colleges are backing the region’s future and supporting its strategies for growth and prosperity. The Group has pledged to analyse the skills needs and gaps in the region, respond quickly to emerging trends in order to deliver Devon’s growth ambitions and continue serving their local communities by providing high quality and relevant education and training.

The Skypark is a key part of the East Devon Growth Point initiative, designed to unlock the economic potential of East Devon.

Already on the ground is Exeter Science Park with long term plans is to deliver 20,000 new homes, including the new town at Cranbrook and over 25,000 jobs up to 2026.

Vision, Plymouth

Value: £70million

Completion: October 2017

This is the biggest city regeneration scheme in the South West and the firm behind it has vowed it is not done building in Plymouth.

Developer Redrow has finished construction at the vast 464-property project in what was once the Royal Navy South Yard Enclave, in Devonport, surrounded by Plymouth’s “Berlin Wall”.

The immense estate is now home to more than 1,100 people living in a mixed-use development of one- and two-bedroom apartments alongside two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, shops, offices and a 42-flat extra care housing block for older people.

Vision has also contributed to the South West economy by employing 50 contractors at any one time and on average, 80 jobs were sustained and supported on a daily basis.

Redrow directly employed 10 apprentices during its 10 years, leading them all into construction industry jobs.

NFU Mutual is investing in its local offices to protect South West businesses To protect the South West’s farmers and businesses, insurer NFU Mutual is investing heavily in its network of 45 local offices across the region whose expert teams know their customers and are on hand to step in when fires floods strike. “At a time when many financial institutions such as banks and insurers are closing local offices and offering services only by ‘phone or online, we’re investing in our local offices,” said Tim Price, Rural Affairs Specialist at NFU Mutual. “We know that customers really value having a local office with staff who know them and their business – and that’s why we’re investing millions to ensure we have modern offices across the countryside with expert staff on hand and sophisticated IT systems. “That means that we have the expertise and products to insure a wide range of businesses from farms to hotels and shops and major food processors who make some of the South West’s finest dairy and meat products. “We use our expertise to ensure that customers have the right insurance in place to protect their businesses – and keep them running if an incident like a serious fire means they need alternative premises to stay in production. Business Interruption “In today’s highly competitive business environment, it’s often not the damage a fire causes to a firm’s premises and equipment that puts its future at risk, but any failure in its ability to continue supplying goods and services. “That’s why business interruption insurance is a vital protection measure. When disaster strikes in the form of fire, flood, storm and accident, NFU Mutual’s local infrastructure enables it to come to the aid of customers quickly. Our fast response helps keep the wheels of the economy turning and maintains jobs in the local community. “We pride ourselves on getting on scene very quickly when a serious incident happens. Our local offices and specialist back up claims handlers can quickly provide emergency funding, help arrange alternative accommodation and get the claims process underway.” This philosophy is part of our ethos as a mutual insurer. Our customers are members of the organisation, with a say in how the business is run – and are our first priority. Managing risks Today, keeping modern businesses up and running isn’t just about insurance. Well-run businesses use risk management as a key principle to help them work efficiently. This means expert analysis of all the potential risks in its activities, changing procedures and equipment to remove as many risks as possible and then putting in place measures to manage the remaining risks. NFU Mutual’s own Risk Management Services company provides this consultancy service to farmers and businesses.

Redrow also donated more than £3.7million towards education, transport and roads, including new buses, and supporting public areas such as Granby Green.

The house builder also invested £700,000 to support the restoration of Devonport Market Hall and Clock Tower which is to become a digital hub for Plymouth.

Nigel Palmer, managing director for Redrow West Country, insisted: “The completion of Vision is not the end of Redrow in Plymouth – we have not finished in the city by any means.”