Conference on transforming ailing city street

A MAJOR conference will look at the future of Plymouth's dilapidated Union Street and include the opportunity for people to see inside some of its most famous buildings.

- By WILLIAM TELFORD

The two-day event is open to the public and part of a campaign to get some of the long-neglected, yet historic buildings, saved, transformed and regenerated.

Entitled From Vacant to Vibrant: The Future of Union Street, it will focus on how new ideas, including putting housing into derelict buildings, can be used to ensure at-risk structures are not lost.

The event is being staged to celebrate the 50th anniversary of historic building charity SAVE Britain's Heritage and will feature high-level speakers from inside and outside Plymouth, including Simon Hickman from Historic England, Liz Fuller from SAVE Britain's Heritage, city historian Chris Robinson and Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard.

The events are open to the public and will feature tours of the former C103 and Millennium nightclubs, banner making workshops, film shows, and discussions on how endangered buildings can be protected.

Hannah Sloggett, from Nudge Community Builders, the organisation striving to transform C103 and the Millennium and an organiser of the conference, said: "It will look at the whole street and other buildings that people care about around the city."