GPF – Millfields, Plymouth

The Millfields Trust’s new state-of-the-art building Genesis was crowned “Building of the Year 2015” by The Building Forum for Devon and Cornwall.

Genesis is the first phase of redeveloping the Millfields Trust HQ site that lies at the heart of Union Street, a civic spine that connects the three old towns of Plymouth.

The pioneering, ERDF and Heart of the South West LEP’s Growing Places funded project is designed to create employment and serve the local community. It comprises of flexible workspaces, meeting rooms, a full height internal atrium and Plymouth’s first living walls.

The building features Portland stone cladding, the only vertical gardens in the South West and carved reliefs on each elevation. The project provided opportunities for community involvement, work placements and apprenticeships for local residents, ensuring ownership and pride in the achievement.

The schemes aims are to expand the business of the Millfields Trust and create a range of new facilities for the community of Stonehouse in Plymouth, to promote the physical regeneration of Union Street and to aid the economic regeneration of deprived parts of the city centre. The centre is aimed at start-start-ups and small SMEs.

New Office Buildings 1991sqm

Growing Places Loan Funding; £2,100,000

Started on site: February 2013
Completion November 2014

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    David Ralph

    Chief Executive

    David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

    Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

    David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.