Ham Drive’s notorious ‘rally stage’ has finally been resurfaced, marking a major win for residents in the latest Ham Ward update. In this round-up for the Plymouth Chronicle, councillors highlight long-awaited road improvements, safer school routes near Pennycross Primary and continued investment in community spaces across the area.
3Resurfaced Roads, Safer Streets and Community Investment Across Ham and North Prospect with councillor Kate Taylor
I am incredibly proud to represent the ward in which I live – not just as a councillor, but also as a school governor at a local primary school and a trustee of the North Yard Community Trust. This is my home, and that shapes everything I do.
Over the past year, I have delivered real improvements locally. I secured a full resurfacing of the ‘rally stage’ of Ham Drive – and Foliot Road and Lark Hill have also been completed, long overdue upgrades that residents had been calling for.
I’ve also worked closely with our local policing team to tackle issues of antisocial noise and speeding from mopeds and other vehicles, particularly in North Prospect and Pennycross.
Road safety is something I care deeply about. I’ve pushed for additional speed humps on West Down Road, supported changes to improve safety around our schools – including moving the zebra crossing at Pennycross Primary – and increased enforcement action at both ends of Ham Drive to tackle dangerous parking outside our schools.
I’ve been working to reopen the Community Orchard on Abbotsbury Way and improve more of our green spaces, alongside supporting local groups through my community grants – including Year 6 leavers celebrations for Mayflower, equipment for Porto Plymouth FC, an electrical upgrade at St Philip’s Church and Plymouth Football Book Bank’s Jumpers 4 Goalposts initiative at Titchy Park.
Alongside my ward work, at the start of this year I took on a new role as Cabinet Member for Customer Experience, Sport, Leisure, Human Resources and Organisational Development – a new challenge, but one I’m really enjoying.
If you need help or have an issue you’d like to raise, please get in touch. We hold a weekly surgery every Wednesday, from 9.30am to 11am at North Prospect Family Hub, or you can email me at kate.taylor@plymouth.gov.uk.
2Safer School Crossings and Major Road Improvements Delivered Across Ham Ward with Councillor Tudor Evans
We’ve got really good news for parents and children on the school run to Pennycross Primary School.
After a long campaign we have secured the go-ahead for improvement to the junction of Ham Drive/Pennycross Park Road/Honicknowle Lane.
The council will create two pedestrian phase controls later this year, which should improve the safety of crossing this busy junction.
We have also been able to have patrols at dropping off and picking up time, to improve safety. The change of access from Fountains and Melville onto Honicknowle Lane has also helped to reduce traffic near the school gates in Arden Grove.
We are hoping to get improvements to the children’s playgrounds in the ward.
St Pancras is a particular concern and we will be keeping the pressure up to make sure it is sorted.
We’ve been pleased to see the new interpretation signs in Ham Woods following our request to the council last year.
This year we’ve seen some great improvements in Ham Drive, and thanks to more investment from the council, we are shortly to see significant resurfacing in Weston Mill.
Bridwell Road, Hibernia Terrace and Carlton Terrace are all scheduled for works shortly. North Prospect has also seen road upgrades, especially Foliot Road.
And don’t forget we hold a weekly advice surgery at The Lark building in North Prospect Road, every Wednesday from 9.30am until 11am. No appointment is necessary.
1Regeneration, Community History and Ongoing Improvements Shape Ham Ward’s Future with councillor Tina Tuohy
I have lived in Ham Ward for 47 years and have been a Ward Councillor since 2009. I was a board member of Plymouth Community Homes for six years and I am still a board member of the Wolseley Trust and a member of the Discovery MAT, Weston Mill Community School.
The regeneration of North Prospect has enhanced our area. The demolition of most of the North Prospect area resulted in much improved housing in an open and friendly environment.
However the loss of their homes, which included my own, was disturbing for residents. During the regeneration period, I ran a small museum recording the history of North Prospect in one of the older houses before it was pulled down. It also provided space for people being rehoused to come together and share memories.
I was rehoused in Camels Head, five minutes walk from where I lived before. I was the Lord Mayor of Plymouth 2024-25, and during my many years of public service as your councillor, I have helped countless residents.
I am also a member of the Friends of Ham Woods, now a Nature Reserve with green flag status. I contributed funding for boundary works alongside Ham Brook which has minimised flooding in Ham Lane and have also replaced one of the bridges.
Along with Councillors Tudor Evans and Kate Taylor we run a weekly Ward Surgery in the North Prospect Family Hub in North Prospect Road where residents can drop in and discuss any issues they may have.
Ham Ward has problems with waste, drains, overgrown trees, traffic calming which regularly come up in Ward surgeries. Improved housing and the regeneration of North Prospect have enhanced the area and increased prosperity.
I recently funded a new mural of undersea creatures to decorate a derelict underpass under St Budeaux bypass and created by the children of Weston Mill. This did well for several years but has now deteriorated and is in urgent need of repair or to be succeeded by a different decoration.
This year I used some of my Community Grant for environmental improvements. I started with the planting of daffodils in open spaces around Ham Woods, one alongside the recycling centre, another at the Honicknowle Lane entrance and a third along Fountains Crescent.
