A raft of recent property deals is helping to transform the Mutley Plain retail zone in Plymouth.
Gavin Sagar, Agency Surveyor at local property consultancy Stratton Creber Commercial (SCC) has completed a large number of recent sales and lettings that are boosting the revival of the popular area.
As a result, the secondary retail pitch is thriving, with very few empty units remaining, despite the national trend.
Gavin says: “We have always been active in Mutley, particularly as our office is a stone’s throw away in North Hill, so we are particularly pleased to be witnessing such high levels of demand for the area.
“It’s really exciting to see new independent retail businesses emerge as people re-assess their post-pandemic lives and start the businesses they have been dreaming about.”
The area has benefited from improvements, including the removal of unsightly public toilets in 2019 and the introduction of free parking at nearby Mutley Barracks.
Popular all-day brunch and bakery venue, the Early Bird, opened soon after.
More recently, the former McColl’s unit at 21 Mutley Plain was snapped up by independent delicatessen and food market Pickle Deli and Market, while number 53, previously occupied by Lloyds Bank, has been sold to a private investor and is due to open soon as a rum distillery.
Lettings have been completed at number 29, to a second-hand furniture shop, at number 77, to charity Young Plymouth, at number 95, to Moo Music soft play café and at number 99, to DC Lane Estate Agents.
On the opposite side of ‘the Plain’, number 34 was let to professional print studio The Printery.
Very few empty units remain. While the former GG’s hair and beauty salon on the corner of Houndiscombe Road is now under offer, a newly refurbished retail unit at 19, Mutley Plain is on the market with an asking price of £130,000 for the freehold. The shop is also available to let at a rental of £16,000 per annum, exclusive.
Flexible lease terms are available at 68 Mutley Plain, a prominent self-contained lock up shop. The sales area extends to around 1,200 square feet and the asking rent is £14,000 per annum, exclusive.
According to local artist and historian Chris Robinson, Mutley was formerly the only main route out of Plymouth that did not involve crossing water. As such, it became a popular meeting place. Mentioned in the Domesday Book as ‘Modlei’, today’s Mutley Plain is substantially Victorian. Popular with both students and families, the area boasts a wide range of fast food outlets, supermarkets, independent retailers, estate agencies and pubs.