Theme 1: A Welcoming City

To be a welcoming city where:

1. Every citizen feels safe, has the home they need in an environment where they can thrive, and they are supported in playing a full role in the life of their community, culture and city.
2. Every person who lives in or visits the city will be treated fairly and with respect through prioritising the importance of physical, financial and intellectual access to facilities, services and opportunities and promoting community cohesion.
3. Every child has access to an environment that prevents, reduces and mitigates the impact of child poverty, and which provides outstanding early learning opportunities and schools with a wide-ranging curriculum, as well as safe homes where they can thrive and neighbourhoods designed with their wellbeing in mind.
4. Every young person has access to the opportunities they need to gain skills for productive and fulfilling employment, and the housing, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities they need to be able to remain in the area should they wish to do so.
5. Every student feels welcome and can contribute to the civic life of the city. They have access to quality accommodation near their place of study, and have the opportunity to remain in the city once they have graduated, with the support they need to start a business or enter local employment.
6. Every business and investor/potential investor in the area is provided with the support and encouragement it needs to grow / invest, with the delivery of services and the development of policy designed to reduce obstacles to growth and boost investor confidence.
7. Every visitor will know that they are welcome in the area through the provision of a high quality visitor experience and cultural offer, with attractive sustainable transport gateways and services, a quality and unique historic and natural environment, excellent hospitality services and visitor accommodation, and high quality information and Internet connectivity.

This key theme emphasises that the Plymouth Plan is ultimately about people and meeting their needs. The theme aims to ensure that delivery always occurs in a way which expresses the highest value to the very people the policy is designed to support. A welcoming place can be seen in the services that it delivers as well as the public spaces and physical environment it provides. A welcoming place expresses values that should affect every aspect of local governance.