Oceanique nearer to take off

"Plymouth City Council have been very supportive” More Oceanique: Skyscraper News ADG This is Plymouth

Devington Homes picture gallery of the development One of the larger developments planned for Plymouth is at least one step nearer to getting built. The Oceanique development planned for Derrys Cross has now signed up for two hotels and a student accommodation block. This has been helped by a relaxation of policy by Plymouth City Council: The council has just permitted Devington Homes to cut back on the number of flats it will build in the city centre at Derry’s Cross and replace them with two hotels and a student hall of residence. Devington’s managing director Lawrence Butler said: ‘We have derisked two-thirds of the scheme, and Plymouth City Council have been very supportive. They said that they wanted the scheme to go ahead because of the employment it would create, and they have reduced the section 106 contribution by £500,000.’ Work should begin at the end of the year. By the time the two hotels and the student accommodation building are open, Butler hopes he will be able to revert to a scaled-down version of the proposal for which Devington gained planning permission in January 2008. This is for 31-storey residential tower Oceanique. Instead of 172 flats of which 22 would have been affordable housing, it will comprise 109 flats of which 16 will be affordable housing. Well I for one quite like the actual development, especially the tower, which I hope isn't scaled back too much. Whether Plymouth really needs two more hotel remains to be seen but they do seem keen to build more! Previously on Plymothian Transit 2nd November 2007