Major redevelopment works are set to begin this month at the Mount Batten Centre, transforming this iconic gateway to Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
The project, kicking off on 24 March, promises to bring a wave of exciting changes to enhance accessibility and visitor experience.
The redevelopment includes opening up the reception area to provide a warm and inviting welcome, creating a new ground floor café with direct access to outdoor seating and spectacular waterfront views, and designing new changing facilities to meet Sport England and Changing Places standards.
The updated design includes accessible and inclusive spaces, with provisions for multicultural and family changing, as well as separate areas for public use. The facilities will also feature slip-resistant flooring, durable materials, and adaptable layouts to ensure safety and flexibility for different user needs.
In addition to the new internal facilities, substantial improvements will be made externally to the areas immediately surrounding the centre and the 17th Century Artillery Tower. To enhance visitor experience, new outdoor terraced seating areas will provide space for people to relax and enjoy being next to the water creating an ambient welcome to the centre.
The historic Mount Batten Tower will benefit from additional pathways offering better access to the tower plateau to enable more people to enjoy the views across Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Thanks to £4m funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Plymouth City Council and the Levelling Up Fund through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, this sensitive restoration project will enable greater accessibility to Plymouth Sound National Marine Park.
Plymouth City Council Leader, Councillor Tudor Evans, said: “We are incredibly excited to see the Mount Batten Centre undergo this transformation.
“As Britain’s Ocean City we have a unique opportunity to restore the amazing heritage of Plymouth Sound. Our vision is to create a welcoming and inclusive space that celebrates Plymouth’s rich maritime heritage and offers new opportunities for everyone to enjoy the stunning waterfront.”
Richard Stevens, Chair of the Mount Batten Centre Board, said: “Myself and the Mount Batten Centre Board are all incredibly excited to see these redevelopment works begin. The comprehensive project of reworking and enhancing the Centre is not just about bricks and mortar; it’s about creating a vibrant, accessible space that will connect people with our extraordinary National Marine Park, whether that be on, in or by the water.
“This investment will unlock the Centre’s full potential, providing first-class facilities for watersports, activities, and community engagement, ensuring the Mount Batten Centre, and wider Mount Batten peninsula, is recognised as one of the pivotal gateways to Plymouth Sound and a cornerstone of the National Marine Park experience.”
Adam Brimacombe from Classic Builders, a local construction company undertaking the works, added: “We’re incredibly proud to be appointed to deliver these important works at the Mount Batten Centre. Plymouth is an important place for us, not only is it our home city but a large proportion of our talented team are based in the area. The delivery of these works allows us to further our support of local staff, share opportunities with local supply chain members, and play a key part of the continued investment of Plymouth as an exciting place to live and work.
“We’re delighted to be delivering the works at Mount Batten Centre. Having worked on a number of schemes for Plymouth City Council, we’re proud to be once again supporting the local authority on another important project. Plymouth is a special place to everyone at Classic Builders, and we’re excited to be working on another key project in our home city.”
This project is part of a wider £22m transformation programme that will help empower and engage the city in the marine environment.
The centre remains open for activities and is being operated from the class room block in the main car park, where temporary welfare units are in place to provide facilities for booked activities and club/affiliate members of the centre. There will be no access to the centre’s main building during the renovations, this includes the existing café and accommodation.
Stay tuned for more updates as we embark on this exciting journey to revitalise the Mount Batten Centre and make it a premier destination for locals and visitors alike!
Watch the full CGI tour here, a taste of what’s to come: Mount Batten CGI Tour of what’s to come