Scottish Secretary David Mundell has expressed how the redevelopment of HM Naval Base Clyde will enhance regional and national benefits.
Visiting what will be the single home of the UK Submarine Service, Mundell heard how Argyll and Bute Council and the Navy are working together to maximise the Base’s benefits, in supporting local population growth, local housing, employment and economic opportunities, and education.
The Ministry of Defence has invested billions of pounds in improving and upgrading HM Naval Base Clyde, so that it will become the single home of the UK’s submarine service from 2020, with the seventh Astute class attack submarine due in 2024, and the new Successor class of nuclear deterrent submarines arriving from the early 2030s.
HM Naval Base Clyde is one of the largest employers in Scotland, with the 6,800 current employees forecasted to rise to 8,200 by 2022.
Mundell said: “The team at the base play a very significant role in the country’s defence and national security. I am very proud of our submariners and the Faslane-based sailors and marines who protect both UK and international waters all the year round from Scotland.
“I have seen how big a contribution the base makes to the local area, providing skilled jobs, supporting the local economy and contributing to regeneration. I want to encourage a strong partnership and working relationship between the base and the local authority, for the benefit of people who live and work in the local community.”
