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The
iconic Ship in Derriford has been saved from demolition
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An iconic building once home to the Western Morning
News and its sister paper the Herald has been saved from destruction.
The Ship in the Derriford area of Plymouth has been
given a last-minute reprieve from the threat of demolition with the
announcement that it has been acquired by a South West property developer.
Burrington Estates, which has made a name for itself
preserving historic buildings and returning them to their former glory, has
delighted Plymouth City Council and local campaigners by vowing to save this
eye-catching glass-and-steel building.
The derelict building – designed by Sir Nicholas
Grimshaw and nicknamed The Ship because of its distinctive shape – is set to be
given a new lease of life as the main Plymouth site for Thrive Hubs, an
innovative combination of flexible, inspiring and professional environments for
new and growing businesses and entrepreneurs.
Two or three smaller centres around the city are due
to launch imminently, with the aim of rolling the Thrive model out to other UK
cities soon.
Mark Edworthy, chairman of Burrington Estates and
founder of Thrive Hubs, said: "Saving Plymouth's glass Ship building marks
an investment of £5 million and we look forward to working alongside Plymouth
City Council to ensure The Ship reaches its full potential within the city.
"Burrington Estates not only has a passion for
the sensitive and appropriate renovation of historic and significant buildings,
but a drive to breathe new life into them and The Ship very much fits into our
overall company ethos.
"Our aim, as with all of our developments, is to
restore them to their former glory and we are confident The Ship will be
regarded as one of the places to do business in the city in no time at all.
"
He added: "We are sure that Thrive Hubs will
strike a chord with companies and entrepreneurs alike, and play an instrumental
role in creating jobs and keeping business talent within the city – we also
hope it will help attract talent to the region too.
"We are expecting a high level of interest in
Thrive – a supportive eco-system for entrepreneurs and businesses to work in
flexible, inspiring and professional environments – and would encourage anyone
interested to get in touch to sign up quickly to be part of this exciting
movement."
Weekly visits are being scheduled for interested
parties before culminating in a grand open day on June 20.
Burrington Estates has welcomed the move to make The
Ship a Listed building, preserving it for future generations and turning it
into a place the city can be proud of once more.
The building is soon to be renamed by Burrington
Estates as 'The Spirit of Enterprise' to reflect the new vision for the
landmark building. Advanced discussions are under way with a number of
businesses, including a leading South West manufacturer.
Paul Scantlebury, co-founder of Burrington Estates,
added: "Burrington Estates has a strong track record in delivering
large-scale construction and renovation projects, preserving the heritage of
sites like Dean Clarke House, once the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, and now
a pride of the city rather than a derelict, unloved site.
"In Ivybridge, we hope to create a new heart of
the community, with a sensitive but ambitious multi-use housing and retail
development at the historic Stowford Mill, while retaining the heritage of the
site.
"Meanwhile, in Plymouth, we have taken Ocean
Crescent and transformed it into a stylish and sought-after apartment building
and continue to develop Burrington Business Park into a thriving place to do
business."
Source: western morning
news. 12 May 2015
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