Plymouth City Centre launched a transformative regeneration project to revitalise key areas of Old Town Street and New George Street.
The £1.6m contract aims to deliver significant visual and environmental improvements, including 25 new semi-mature trees, new islands of greenery and a sustainable urban drainage system that includes three rain gardens with ornamental planting.
The scheme focused on enhancing the urban landscape, promoting sustainability and mitigating flood risks through innovative solutions. YGS Landscapes was the landscape contractor appointed as part of the initiative and in turn sourced landscaping materials provider Green-tech to supply 160 tonnes of Green-tree Bioretention Soil to create the three rain gardens.
This major public realm improvement project involved removing existing surfacing, street furniture and soft landscaping to replace them with hard and soft landscaping, new street furniture and lighting. It also required removing contaminated material, underground obstructions, pre-war historical city features and old utility systems to integrate with modern amenities and drainage systems.

The soil helped address the project’s sustainability and drainage needs by aiding rainwater absorption, filtration and plant growth to play a central role in creating the rain gardens. The scheme plays an important role in the city’s flood management strategy and its Climate Emergency Action Plan as the three rain garden tanks are capable of holding back 75.5 m3 of stormwater.
Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SuDs) are designed to protect streets from flooding. Here, it involved creating large holes in the ground, reinforced and layered with material to act like a giant plant pot to hold rainwater to irrigate the new plants and trees.
Bioretention uses highest quality sands and green composts to provide an efficient permeability rate to avoid waterlogging on the surface area while holding sufficient nutrient levels and organic matter to support the vegetation used. The soil’s composition ensures the successful establishment of vegetation and the effective management of stormwater runoff.
Using the soil in Plymouth’s city centre regeneration yielded multiple benefits. Beyond its functional role in stormwater management, the green infrastructure enhanced the area’s visual appeal. Importantly, the project demonstrates the city’s commitment to environmental stewardship and climate resilience.