Plymouth awarded £9.5 million to make vision of UK's first National Marine Park a reality

Plymouth Sound has been awarded £9.5 million to create the UK's first National Marine Park.

People across the city are celebrating after learning the bid for the Heritage Horizon Awards has been successful.

Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the Plymouth Sound National Marine Park will reconnect an entire city to the sea, the marine environment and its history.

The bid is based on three key elements:

• Physical infrastructure: creating gateways to the park with improved facilities at Tinside cove and pool, Mount Batten Peninsula and watersports centre, the National Marine Aquarium, Mount Edgcumbe as well as enhancing community access points though out the park

• Social infrastructure - a city wide community engagement programme designed to get all Plymothians out in, on, under and next to the water and develop new 'green' marine employment opportunities

• Digital park - using the latest tech to create new ways of engaging people with the park and learning about its hidden treasures without getting wet

Leader of Plymouth City Council Nick Kelly said: "This is truly a game changer for Plymouth. For too long Plymouth hasn't fully embraced the sea and its waterfront - this funding means we can now put the Sound right at the heart of our plans for Plymouth.

"We are in a unique position, within a unique landscape - fantastic wildlife, an historic waterfront, rich maritime heritage and cutting edge marine research, but we need to look after this special place. We need people from all walks of life to get in it, on it, talk about it and as a city cherish the Sound for future generations."

Councillor Nick Kelly - Leader of Plymouth City Council

The bid has cross party support. Leader of the Opposition Councillor Tudor Evans added: "This is just epic news. The Park in the Sea really is a people's park and over the next two years residents and businesses across the city and in surrounding communities - not just those living close to the waterfront - will be encouraged to explore what the Sound has to offer and then shape the project."

Councillor Tudor Evans - Leader of the Opposition

The project outlines five 'gateways' to the park - each with a particular focus that will inspire more people to explore, connect and enjoy the sea in all sorts of different ways:

• Tinside - for health and wellbeing activities

• National Marine Aquarium - a hub for nature and the environment

• Mountbatten - active recreation

• Mount Edgcumbe - heritage - learning about the Sound's epic history including over 600 wrecks that lie beneath the waves

• Smart Sound - digital harnessing the power of the latest digital technology

The park aims to change how a landscape and its people can work together. It is estimated the grant will support the development of 20 new 'blue' enterprises and create 464 jobs.

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