Winning consent for Derriford District Centre in Plymouth
Winning consent for Derriford District Centre in Plymouth
Derriford District Centre won full planning permission from Plymouth City Council and has since attracted major national occupiers including Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Costa Coffee. KOR Communications designed and delivered the public consultation, stakeholder engagement and media relations for developer ADC Kimberley, running a hybrid programme of digital and face-to-face engagement at a time when changing Covid restrictions made conventional consultation impossible.
The project
Plymouth City Council appointed ADC Kimberley to deliver a new district centre on council-owned land at the former Seaton Barracks Parade Ground, creating a commercial heart for the residents, workers and students of Derriford. The proposals comprised two food stores, a drive-through coffee shop, a gym, smaller commercial units and approximately 230 parking spaces, alongside new access and sustainable transport infrastructure.
Following a competitive pitch, we were appointed to lead the consultation and engagement at a time when changing Covid restrictions required a flexible mix of digital and face-to-face communication.
Our approach
We began by shaping a compelling narrative around the proposals which provided source information for the project website, exhibition materials, letters to neighbours and stakeholders and media releases. We mapped the residents, businesses and organisations most affected by the proposals, including the major employers and institutions across Derriford, and invited 14 neighbouring organisations to a stakeholder drop-in or live webinar. Working closely with the council as landowner, we coordinated the public launch and press activity, distributed posters and supplied consultation materials to nearby organisations including Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Marjon University and Plymouth Science Park.
Because restrictions meant a traditional exhibition could not take place, we built a dedicated project website that replicated everything that would have been available at a public exhibition. A stakeholder event at the neighbouring Future Inn and a live webinar enabled the project team to answer questions directly. We analysed the feedback and prepared the Statement of Community Involvement submitted with the planning application.
The outcome
Plymouth City Council granted full planning permission, and the scheme went on to attract major national occupiers including Marks & Spencer, Aldi and Costa Coffee, a commercial endorsement of both the location and the quality of the consented scheme.
ADC Kimberley retained KOR after determination to lead the next phase of communications through construction and as stores were announced or opened.
-
Derriford District Centre is a new shopping and leisure destination on the former Seaton Barracks Parade Ground in Plymouth. The approved scheme includes two food stores, Marks & Spencer and Aldi, a gym, a drive-through Costa coffee shop, smaller commercial units and approximately 230 parking spaces.
-
The programme combined a dedicated project website, a stakeholder drop-in, a live webinar, posters and direct engagement with neighbouring residents, employers and institutions including Derriford Hospital, Plymouth Marjon University and Plymouth Science Park.
-
Post-determination communications help maintain trust, explain construction and delivery milestones and coordinate announcements with partners and occupiers. At Derriford, KOR continued working with ADC Kimberley and Plymouth City Council as landowner to communicate progress after consent was granted.