“We recently visited plymouth and stayed in the Copthorne Hotel where there was a nice range of shops in the mall underneath (armada centre). We also visited the other mall at drake circus and found it lacked anything of interest and was grossly overpriced.
We also went to the other end of town where it seemd very downmarket and dirty.
My wife also liked Dingles a lot and we enjoyed the nice walk straight onto the Hoe.
May i suggest you keep the middle and flatten both ends into housing.”

“Incorrectly spelt Sir John Betjeman's name. Fulsome apologies.”

“Plymouth could make a feature of its various central districts. Several posters have mentioned Bristol and this is what that city has done - divided the central area (larger than Plymouth's it has to be admitted) into clearly identified zones with street signs brought into line, eg Corn Street, Old City; Park Street, West End; Victoria Street, Temple.

All this feeds through to tourism and adds an extra dimension. Bristol has reinvented itself and is in the DK Eyewitness Guide (one of the most prestigious around) as one of the top ten world must-see cities in 2009. It is also the only UK entry into the final stages for European Green Capital. It is back to the stage where Sir John Betjemen called it his favourite large English city.

Plymouth could easily raise its own status in a similar way. It has a lot going for it: a superb physical location; large enough to be extremely interesting but small enough to be visitor-friendly; a naval history second to none; a decent shopping centre together with many tourist attractions; with Aberdeen the most remote metropolis in the UK.

People should support their city not moan. Although originally a Somerset man I live in Bristtol but enjoy visiting Plymouth from time to time. It has an appeal that I find nowhere else in the UK ,or further afield for that matter.”

“Steve Mutley - thanks. Whinging does seem to be a hobby for janners. I remember coming to Plymouth occasionally before DC over the years and being quite horrifed that although the city centre was so massive - it still didn't have any shops! Especially compared to some of the more upmarket chains that Exeter and even Truro have managed to attract. when i moved here in 2006 the mall opened shortly after and i remeber thinking thank goodness!! A clean, dry, smart looking indoor mall with trendy shops and a food court. Sadly this resulted in retailer already trading in Plymouth moving up into the mall - and frankly why wouldn't you!? The rest of town looks like hell now - what upmarket chains will want to rent lots next to the crappy knock off shops which have crept all the way up past the Armada Way cut off point or as was for the less desirable shops.
Plymouth will have a hard time generating new retial business - if theres no room in the mall then the empty units around the town are not an option. to anyone with any business sense.”

“I love the fact that Plymouthians need a transport link' to get from Drake Circus to Frankfort Gate - it's a 4 minute walk. But this is typical of Plymouth I suppose.”

“Why does everyone think the shops here are rubbish there pretty much the same as every high street across Britain. Drakes circus is a damn sight better than what was there to begin with, loads more. The problem with our city centre is its just too big, especially today with Internet shopping. Condensing it down into 2 smaller areas means that the council can, hopefully, start to focus on these areas and improve them separately in a way that responds to that areas particular function. I think allowing people to live down Armada way is a good idea as Ive already stated. Few cities have at the heart of them a boulevard like Armada way, this could be turned into a fantastic public space where people moving between the 2 shopping areas can relax. Plymouth city centre only looks in some places as poor as it does because there just wasnt the money to build the post war city they wanted.”

“The council and retail leaders have patronised and fed us mediocrity for too long. now we have the oppotunity to show them how we feel. there are no good shops in plymouth. they cannot make us shop in whats left. They either improve or close.”

“I quite agree with you T, West Hoe i used to go to Exeter when there was nowhere else to go for a decent present or something nice for the flat no need now i have Drakes Circus. People of this city should stop bleating about John Lewis its never going to come here the city is just not classy enough also stop bleating about Drakes Circus being the cause of all evil. Janners if i could afford to move i would most are a bunch of moaning parochial self important country folk with a high opinion of themselves and this so called city we live in.”

“Sorry Awful, but that stuff about Plymouth being built on a rejected plan for Leeds is nonsense. Plyouth wasw rebuilt as a Beaux Arts city and hence is axial alignment to the Hoe. Contary to what you said, the planners and the architrects thought very hard about our new City in the 1940s and they strived to create something worthy of those who had fought fornthe country. This is in contrast to the piecemeal pre-war development and the disasterous proposals from our current local authority. If you don't belive me, then I suggest that looking in the archives or the local studies library could give some interesting evidence.”

“Look at the comments here! People feel really strongly about Plymouth City Centre. It needs a vision and it needs some talented planning, expertise, and architecture. Then it needs the money and scope to just do it. Then Plymouthians need to shut up and support it!”