Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) residents and the local community of Southway have now been supported back to their homes, with residents paying tribute to PCH for support received during the emergency incident.
On Friday 1 May, an unexploded wartime ordnance found at our development site on Flamborough Road in the north of the city was safely detonated by military bomb disposal experts, bringing 48 hours of major uncertainty to an end.
Throughout the evacuation, PCH, Plymouth City Council, Southway Youth and Community Group and other local organisations demonstrated an incredible collaborative effort to support local residents to find alternative accommodation, transport, food and supplies as the situation unfolded.
During the evacuation, PCH accommodated 47 households, with the Council also accommodating many residents living in the 1,200 homes within the cordon. PCH also assisted residents with emergency payments to help with the costs of being away from home.
Southway Youth and Community Centre was set up as an evacuation centre for residents who were displaced as a result of the cordon and PCH staff jumped into action and worked tirelessly all day and night alongside the Council who led on the major incident response.
Several residents supported throughout the evacuation shared thanks and grateful words for the dedication and commitment given to those who sought support at the evacuation centre, online or via the telephone.
Sheila and Steve, PCH residents living within the 400m cordon appreciated what PCH did to support them and wanted to express their thanks to PCH for their support.
Sheila said: "We were so well looked after, and we couldn’t praise PCH enough for it. From the minute we stepped foot in the community centre we were made to feel so welcome. The staff at Plymouth Community Homes were so helpful. We had cups of tea while we were waiting, they organised us a hotel, it was just absolutely brilliant. We have been so cared for.
“I couldn’t fault the whole experience. The information you kept sending via text was absolutely brilliant, it was what we needed to know. I came out of hospital not too long ago and I thought we may have had to stay in the hall for a few days, and when we were told we’d be put up in a hotel I couldn’t believe it.
“I am so chuffed. We’ve got nothing to fault, nothing at all. We’re back home again now and are very happy.”
Steve added: “I have never had better service in all my life. When we came up to the community centre, we had a cup of tea, I had my dog with me, it was all sorted out so quickly. We had a taxi laid on for us and they got us into a local hotel which was beautiful. We were looked after so well, and with the messages coming through it kept us to date.
“I want to thank the people who have done such a marvellous job for us. PCH has triumphed and I want to make sure they know how much we appreciate what they’ve done for us.
“We were frightened and when Sheila said that she would be going to the centre, I said I would go with her, and we’ve been treated absolutely marvellously. I can’t even rate the support we’ve received, and I want to make sure this is known.
“I will never forget this! Thank you PCH!”.
92 PCH homes were within the initial 200m cordon put in place on Wednesday evening. Teresa and her two children were one of the first families to evacuate to Southway Youth and Community Centre. Teresa contacted PCH via email after she had returned home to extend her thanks for the support received. Teresa said: “My family and I are grateful and thankful to PCH for the support we received during the evacuation. Without the support and guidance from their staff I have no idea what I would have done.
“As someone with anxiety and children with additional needs, the support I received made everything so easy and not any more worrying than it needed to be.
“I feel very grateful and would like to say a massive thank you to them.”
Julie, a PCH resident also evacuated to the Southway Youth and Community Centre on Wednesday evening with her mum, son and guinea pig, before being moved into a hotel. Julie added: “Everyone’s been brilliant, from staff at the community centre on Wednesday night who found us accommodation and provided us with snacks and drinks all the way to the hotel staff who were able to put us up at such short notice. We’re staying in the hotel for an extra night, and we’ll be going home on Saturday. Thank you everyone!”
On Wednesday evening, following advice from military bomb disposal experts, the safety cordon around the incident was extended from 200m to 400m and PCH continued to communicate with all PCH residents in the 400m cordon via text message, also updating all residents via social media and liaising with individual residents who attended the centre for support where required. Within the 400m cordon, there were 351 PCH homes.
As well as working with staff from the Council to help find evacuees within the cordon temporary accommodation in local hotels, staff also worked with Devon and Cornwall Police to ensure evacuated residents could get hold of their medication left in their properties, and provided pets with food and water to make sure they were also comfortable during the unsettling experience.
Residents brought a number of furry and not so furry friends to the centre, including dogs, kittens, parrots, a tortoise, guinea pigs and more. It was a delight to see so many animals, who were all successfully temporarily housed with their residents during the evacuation.
Jenny, Karen and their wonderful team of volunteers at the Southway Youth and Community Centre worked tirelessly to ensure the centre was set up for everyone’s needs, supplying free food items, offering tea and coffee and drinks and snacks for children, sourced baby items from their Baby Bank, sourced pet food for animals who were evacuated to the centre and so much more.
The Southway Youth and Community Centre was open into the night on Wednesday and remained open until 3:30pm on Friday 1 May, with our staff working on shifts to cover a 48-hour period up until then offering support to all who needed it.
After the cordon had been lifted, Rangers in our Environmental Services team worked to put up heras fencing around the site and members of our Repairs team removed hoarding from properties.
The PCH response was overseen by an incident operational team which met every few hours to review the situation.
Staff also joined response team meetings with PCC, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, NHS, South West Ambulance Service and various partner organisations throughout the week to connect our work to the overall response, working collaboratively to achieve the best outcome.
The response came from across the organisation, with many staff from various teams including Thriving Neighbourhoods, Communities, Marketing and External Affairs volunteering to help and work shifts at the Southway Youth and Community Centre in the day and the late evening. Other staff supported from the office or online from home to help coordinate our response, through booking hotels, organising emergency payments, ordering supplies, compiling maps and residents data information and much more.
Dave Ryland, Head of Thriving Neighbourhoods, led the Major Incident Response from PCH, and said: “Through an incident like this, we get a deeper insight into the incredible staff we have at Plymouth Community Homes and their willingness to go above and beyond and ensure our residents are safe and supported, truly living the PCH values.
“Staff stepped up to adapt to the fast-changing situation and supported our residents and the overall unfolding situation in many ways, including at the Southway Youth and Community Centre working long hours directly supporting residents, organising accommodation and transport and more. We are also grateful to the staff and volunteers at the Southway Youth and Community Centre for going above and beyond for our residents, the wider Southway community and our staff who were based there for a number of days.
“The support from across PCH has been astounding and I couldn’t be prouder of how PCH have responded and helped, and the praise received from residents and partner organisations for their efforts is greatly appreciated.”
