New submariner housing takes shape at HM Naval Base Clyde

Construction of new accommodation for submariners at HM Naval Base Clyde has reached a milestone with the placement of the final parapet and prefabricated concrete panel on the fourth of four new blocks, the Royal Navy has said.

The panels, weighing between 10 and 18 tonnes and spanning three to five metres wide, have been used to build the four blocks, two of which are designed specifically for submariner trainees, under a £166 million project delivered for the Royal Navy by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and its industry partner, Kier Graham Defence. The work forms part of the Clyde Infrastructure Programme, the wider effort to prepare the base to operate and maintain the Dreadnought class submarines that will succeed the Vanguard class as the platform for the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent.

Captain Elaine Boyd, Captain of HMS Neptune, attended the placement of the final panel alongside Base Executive Officer Commander Nick Stewart and First Lieutenant Commander Phil Nicholson. “Reaching this stage of construction is a significant step in delivering modern accommodation at HM Naval Base Clyde,” she said. “The new blocks will provide high-quality living spaces for Service personnel, including the submariner trainees who represent the future of the Submarine Service. As the home of the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet, these facilities will support the wellbeing of our people and the continued development of the Naval Base.”

The Royal Navy said the prefabricated panel method delivers a traditional style of construction while allowing faster installation, reducing the workforce required on site, cutting cost and material waste, and supporting sustainability goals. Dan Ross, DIO’s Director of Nuclear Infrastructure, said: “Working with our supply chain we have demonstrated what can be achieved at pace, without compromising on quality, to provide our submariner trainees with the modern, safe accommodation they deserve. The use of prefabricated sections helps us deliver the new accommodation more quickly so our sailors can benefit from it as soon as possible.”

The first two submariner trainee blocks are due to be completed and brought into use later this year, with the remaining two single living accommodation blocks scheduled to open in early 2027.

The housing project sits within a much larger construction effort at the base, where the Clyde Infrastructure Programme is delivering the multi-decade upgrade the Defence Investment Plan has committed to funding, including new floating docks to enable out-of-water engineering across the submarine fleet, in preparation for the arrival of Dreadnought and the future SSN-AUKUS attack submarines.