Babcock to boost Rosyth site with engineering centre

Engineering support services company Babcock said yesterday that it is to develop a multi-million pound state-of-the-art engineering centre at its Rosyth facilities as part of ongoing investment in the site.

The firm said the 73,000sq ft flagship development will be able to accommodate more than 450 staff and will complement its existing Rosyth site. Picture: Jane Barlow

The firm said the 73,000sq ft flagship development will be able to accommodate more than 450 staff and will “complement” its existing Rosyth site, where the Royal Navy’s second flagship aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales is currently being assembled.

Babcock said work is to start early next year to demolish a building to make way for the new centre, and it described its existing accommodation as “no longer appropriate for the purposes we require decades after it was built”.

The new development will be mainly open plan, including informal collaboration work areas and dining facilities, and according to Babcock “underlines the company’s ambitions for continued growth as it further cements its roots in Fife, where the Rosyth Dockyard has stood for more than 100 years”.

The move boosts the regeneration of the Fife town, which is already subject to a proposed £500 million waterfront project that seeks to create 3,500 jobs.

Ian Donnelly, managing director of energy and marine services at Babcock, said: “Our business is constantly adapting to be in exactly the right shape to meet opportunities.

“Babcock’s clear focus on being a world-class engineering-support provider and employer of choice is underpinned through our commitment to provide our employees and our customers with modern, bright, energy efficient spaces to do business in today, and well into the future.

“We need facilities that match our ambitions and reflect the high standards we pride ourselves on, encourage collaborative working across our business and most importantly provide a positive, pleasant and engaging environment for our employees, customers and visitors alike.”

Fife Council welcomed Babcock’s announcement of the development and has granted it full planning consent.

Councillor Lesley Laird, the council’s depute leader, said: “We are delighted that Babcock is set to develop the facilities that they need to match their ambitions and further boost business growth in Fife. Continued investment in the Rosyth area is positive for local jobs and good news for people across Fife.

“For the UK’s largest engineering support services company to invest on such a large scale shows the confidence that has in Fife’s skills base. Babcock’s success shows that investing in the region can reap real business benefits and its confidence sends a strong message to other national and international companies that Fife has a lot to offer.”

Babcock said its 2015 revenue reached about £4.5 billion, with an order book of around £20bn.