Plymouth Development Corporation

Plymouth Development Corporation

The Royal William Victualling Yard – a major part of the corporation's responsibility
Formation	1993
Extinction	1998
Headquarters	Plymouth
Official language	English
Chair	Sir Robert Gerken
Key people	John Collinson
Budget	£45 million

The Plymouth Development Corporation (or PDC) was an urban development corporation established in Plymouth, Devon, England by the UK Government on 1 April 1993 to "secure the physical, environmental, economic and social regeneration" of surplus parts of the Ministry of Defence's estate and some adjoining land. It had an indicative budget of £45 million and a lifetime of five years. Although subject to criticism for financial irregularities, it laid the foundation for improvements that continued for several years after it was wound up.

The PDC was given an indicative budget of £45 million to be spent over its proposed five-year lifetime; in 1994 its corporate plan stated that it had the potential to create over 1,300 new jobs and lever in private sector finance of some £50 million. It was the twelfth development corporation to be set up in the country, and it was created after the dockyard, the traditional major employer in the city of Plymouth, had reduced its workforce from 30,000 to 5,000, resulting in an unemployment rate of 14% in the city. The chairman was Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Gerken, a former Flag Officer at Plymouth, with deputy John Ingham, leader of Plymouth City Council.

Three sites were designated and they were all on the waterfront. They were: part of Stonehouse, including the Royal William Victualling Yard (31 hectares); the nearby Mount Wise area (5 hectares); and Mount Batten on the other side of Plymouth Sound (31 hectares). MoD land at all three sites was transferred to the PDC.

The Royal William Victualling Yard was built in the early 19th century and is one of the country's most architecturally significant groups of maritime buildings, all Grade I listed. Development of the Yard was the single largest aspect of the corporation's remit, and the improvement of its poor road access was also important, as was the provision of sufficient car parking. Much of the Mount Wise site was derelict and was considered to be ideal for light industrial, commercial and residential development, the latter helped by its fine views across the River Tamar to Mount Edgcumbe Country Park. The Mount Batten site had been used by the Royal Air Force until 1992, and although a large part was already designated as a scheduled monument, opportunity was seen for some residential and leisure development.