Defence Online

New accommodation opens at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines

Land November 9, 2021

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has recently completed the new circa £10m bespoke state-of-the-art accommodation project for personnel at the Royal Marines’ principal training centre in Devon.

The new block will house Royal Marine recruits who have been injured in training.

The new accommodation at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) in Lympstone consists of a 181-bed block as well as supporting facilities, such as a large communal/recreation area and administrative offices. The multifunction communal/recreation space has televisions, a projector and screen, kitchenette for drinks and IT provision. It can also be used as a classroom when required or for individual learning. The ground floor also has toilet and washing facilities for visitors to this area.

The building includes 21 eight-bed rooms and one ten-bed unit plus three single rooms which can be used for support staff or individual troops. All bedrooms include individual storage and all rooms have been designed so that they can be allocated to either male or female occupants. There are additional baggage rooms on each floor with lockable individual cages for each person for larger items of kit.

Each floor has a utility room which includes a Belfast sink for washing larger items, washing machines and dryers. There are also dedicated drying rooms with extraction, low radiant heat and dehumidifiers to ensure clothes and smaller items of kit can be quickly washed and dried. A separate caged building for drying larger items of equipment and an external boot wash was also constructed adjacent to the new accommodation block.

The building is designed to be easy to clean and maintain with surfaces such as vinyl floors which are quick to wash. Durable finishes have been provided to the lift, baggage cages and handrails.

Final fixings and equipment such as Wi-fi, curtains, blinds, notice boards, white boards and TVs were installed throughout the building during construction to avoid costly and disruptive fit out post-handover.

Simon Jones, DIO Project Manager, said: “We are pleased to have completed this bespoke building to meet the Royal Marines’ accommodation requirements along with our partner Galliford Try and our technical support providers AECOM.

“This purpose-built facility will provide modern and essential accommodation to personnel and to allow them to continue training as they recover from injury and undergo rehabilitation prior to rejoining their normal unit.

“This was a challenging project especially continuing safely throughout the current pandemic, but it demonstrated our expertise in delivering unique construction projects on time for the Armed Forces.”

Simon Courtney, Managing Director for Galliford Try Building West Midlands & South West, said: “We are proud to have been given the opportunity to work with and deliver this unique scheme on site for DIO. There has been a high level of collaboration on the project throughout a challenging period, and we are delighted to now see the completed building ready for occupation by the Royal Marine recruits undertaking rehabilitation and recovery programmes.”

The building, known as the Comacchio Building, was opened by Col. Simon Chapman, Commandant Commando Training Centre Royal Marines.

Representatives from the Royal Marines, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and contractors Galliford Try and AECOM attended an event at Lympstone on 4th November to mark the completion of this unique facility for the Royal Marines.

image: The new accommodation block at CTCRM Lympstone. (Crown Copyright / MOD 2021)

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Commando Training Centre Royal Marines CTCRM DIO Lympstone Royal Marines

Post written by: Matt Brown