Plymouth Plan sofa goes nautical

All aboard the Plymouth Sofa! Sailors and seafarers are being encouraged to enter the debate on the future of Plymouth, Britain’s Ocean City.

Plymouth City Council’s planners will be taking the sofa to the Plymouth Marine Showcase at Queen Anne’s Battery on Saturday 20 April from 10am to 3pm.

The team want to hear the views of yachties, fishermen and watersport enthusiasts as well as businesses about the big issues affecting Plymouth, particularly around the waterfront and marine issues.

The sofa sessions form part of the Plymouth Plan process, which aims to encourage comment and debate on every aspect of life in Plymouth as the city prepares to set out its direction for the next two decades.

Development, housing, regeneration and transport have all been part of the big conversations that also cover greener Plymouth, arts and culture, prosperity and affordability, tourism, city pride and identity.

The ‘Plymouth Plan sofa’ has popped up at 15 venues so far to give people a chance to put their feet up and think about the big picture for Plymouth in years to come.

Cabinet member for the Environment, Councillor Brian Vincent said: “Our waterfront and the activities that take place on the water are crucial to what makes Plymouth such a special place. We need to hear from the experts, those who are on, near or in the water all the time, about what we need to concentrate on over the next two decades.

“Having a chat on the sofa at this event is a great way of catching these busy people for a few minutes.”

Highlights so far have been events specifically targeted to contribute to the Child Poverty Strategy consultation, the day planners knitted and chatted with people in Cornwall Street, Graham Allan MP lying on the sofa at the Early Years’ Conference and a debate at the Council House with the Royal Institute of British Architects.

The sofa has also been sighted in hospitals, theatres as well as libraries and children centres. It has also appeared at ‘fringe events’ such as the Plymouth Community Radio development and launch and the Union Street consultation.

So far over 12,000 twitter accounts have been reached via 370 followers of the @PlymouthPlan twitter account and every Friday people are asked a question about the city using the hashtag #LetsTalkPlym with responses recorded online for everyone to see.

The Marine Showcase Event offers everything the boating enthusiast could wish for, including marine electronic seminars, displays and exhibitions, the opening of the Force 4 Chandlery and a boat jumble.

The event will run over both the Saturday and Sunday.