The Ministry of Defence has said it works closely with organisations linked to the Old Royal Naval College but does not hold responsibility for the site’s heritage upkeep, employment or day-to-day public access, according to parliamentary answers.
Responding to a series of written questions from Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage, defence minister Louise Sandher-Jones outlined the department’s position on long-term sustainability, governance and conservation arrangements at the Greenwich site. The answers addressed concerns over coordination, financial resilience, employment, public access and capital works.
Sandher-Jones said the department “works closely with parties who have an interest in the Old Royal Naval College” and that when granting leases, the Secretary of State “gives regard to the suitability of occupants to maintain the site, and to public access”. She emphasised that the MOD’s role is limited to its responsibilities as landlord.
Under existing lease arrangements, responsibility for the historic estate rests elsewhere. Sandher-Jones stated that “responsibility for heritage conservation, maintenance, and repair rests with the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College”. She added that “public access is a matter for all tenants, and employment is a matter for individual employers on site”.
The same response was repeated across questions covering long-term financial sustainability, risks to heritage conservation and employment, and potential support for capital works. In each case, the minister reiterated that while the MOD engages with stakeholders, it does not directly manage funding, staffing or conservation activity at the site.
IMAGE © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
“Responsibilities as landlord.”
Interesting, I had no idea the site was still owned by the MoD?
On the rest, quite right to, the MoD has enough on it’s plate with non military voices taking it’s money to be expected to pay for this.
“Too.”
There was a nuclear reactor in there.
True
Was. But not now?
It was decommissioned some years ago, before the college was closed. I think It was used for training nuclear boat engineers in the basic principles of the reactor such as what happens to the neutrons when you move the control rods. (Someone with better knowledge than me will no doubt be able to fill in the details)
The amusing thing about it was apparently Greenwich Council got all militant in the 80’s and declared the borough a nuclear free zone, little knowing what was underneath the College!
Hi Nick.
I believe the Nuclear Dept is now at Sultan, that lodger being an outpost of DA Shrivenham.
I didn’t know there was a subsurface section of the old naval college? Is that confirmed or tongue in cheak?
I think that it was somewhere in a basement, but I can’t be sure, it is a very long time since I was last there. What I do know is that the wardroom had a very good wine cellar!
True dit – small reactor to instruct junior officers destined for submarine service in the science of nuclear engineering.
I enjoyed a short stint of guard duty / Buffer’s Party in between drafts on boats (happy days! 🏴☠️)
Old ships! It don’t blow like it used to.