"We want to put Plymouth on the map" - new council leader sets out his plans for the city
In his first interview with us since becoming leader, Cllr Kelly has described the role as "challenging and rewarding"
Greatest Hits Radio has sat down with the new leader of Plymouth City Council, Nick Kelly.
Following the local elections on 6 May, Plymouth's Conservative group formed an administration. The council is now made up of 26 Conservative councillors, 24 Labour members and seven independents.
Councillor Kelly was first elected to the council in 2015, serving the Moor View Ward. He now represents his home ward of Compton.
In his first interview with GHR since becoming leader, Cllr Kelly has described the role as "challenging and rewarding".
He said: "In the first five or six weeks, my feet haven't touched the ground. I've had hundreds of meetings, met some very prominent people who help shape our city, and the vibes are really good.
"I think the overwhelming message that's come out of those meetings is that Plymouth is going places, it is on the up and it's an exciting time to be a part of the city."
Cllr Kelly has ambitions to make Plymouth a world-renowned city:
"We need to try to take a fresh approach and I think what Plymouth hasn't been great at, is promoting itself, and shouting about the great things we do.
"There are issues that we need to get to grips with but what I'm looking at trying to do is raising the profile of the city, not just nationally but internationally."
Cllr Kelly also said he wants to help the city bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic. He said there is a labour shortage in Plymouth and more workers are needed to fill jobs here:
"We need to work far more closely with our learning establishments, to make sure people are equipped with the skills and qualifications that link directly to industry.
"Health is a growing area, so is the marine sector and believe it or not, so is the hospitality sector. It's massively important to us as a destination city. We've just had the announcement of some cruise ships coming in. We want to put Plymouth on the map and what we have to do is make sure we have high quality hospitality."