Plymouth-based Babcock to move staff amid regional regeneration

Defence company Babcock have announced plans to locate more than 2,000 of their workforce from the Devonport Royal Dockyard facility to a city centre base.

Employees from some of the Devonport support functions will be moved into a new central-based capability centre in Plymouth, to “help boost collaboration, foster wider prosperity and support defence delivery”.

The plans are part of an approach to support regional regeneration across the UK.

There is no specific date or timeline for the move to take place, however the company is set to transform a disused building into the new space.

Babcock’s CEO David Lockwood said: “The defence dividend is far-reaching, strengthening the UK’s defence industrial base and fostering prosperity, collaboration and innovation in the communities we work in.

“Our ambitious blueprint for Plymouth is a model for regional regeneration and one we are committed to delivering.

“As a strategic partner to government, for every pound spent on defence, our community of passionate people are delivering back, and we value the things that matter to our customers, colleagues and communities.”

Commenting on Babcock’s announcement, Luke Pollard MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: “This is good news for the city centre and Devonport. Plymouth City Council and I have been working with Babcock for many months on their plan to create more jobs and invest in skills in our city.

“The plans announced today are an important first step towards the multi-million pound investment in the city centre.

“Thousands of new homes, an updated public realm, like Armada Way, and hundreds of new jobs created – this is how we’ll make our city centre vibrant again.”