Plymouth’s train travellers will be walking out of the station onto Brunel Plaza.
The multi-million regeneration scheme proposed for the area around the station will be named after the great engineer, who was not only the chief engineer for the Great Western Railway, but also built the iconic Albert Bridge over the Tamar and Plymouth’s Millbay Docks.
Councillor Tudor Evans said: “Isambard Kingdom Brunel is a part of Plymouth’s journey. He built much of the railway that linked Plymouth to the rest of the country, he created the stunning bridge and his Millbay development helped change the fortunes of the city – naming the plaza after him is a way of making that link straight away."
News about the name follows a public consultation about the £80 million scheme to give a better welcome for commuters and visitors coming by rail to Plymouth.
A consultation is underway to give people an idea of what buildings could be going up, what’s coming down and how this vital entrance to Plymouth could look in the future.
Key partners are working together to create a whole new feel to this important gateway for the thousands of people that arrive into the city by rail from all over the country.
Consultants, WYG and AHR, have put together a masterplan which could be the guiding document for decisions being taken around this location. Plans currently include demolishing the redundant rail incident safety centre (RISC) to the east side of the station to make way for a new multi-storey car park. Exciting plans for the transformation of the former Intercity House into Intercity Place, as a landmark building to educate tomorrow's health professionals have also already been unveiled by the University of Plymouth.
The masterplan proposes a variety of mixed uses, including a new car park, which will almost double the capacity to 469 spaces, a new hotel and other academic facilities. The station staff accommodation will be modernised and significant new public space created, improving the connectivity from North Cross and the city centre.
To read more visit the Plymouth Newsroom Railway station story.
You can view the consultation here. The consultation on the proposed masterplan closes on 21 July.