Go ahead for Plymouth ex-Royal Navy base

Plymouth City Council gave the Green light to the developer, which set up the subsidiary Mount Wise to lead the development on site, this week. The company will now build 450 homes on the 28 acre ex-Royal Navy base, known as Mount Wise, in Devonport.

Up to 86 of the properties will be affordable homes, and the site will also include a 46-bedroom hotel, 87,000 sq ft of offices and community facilities.

The site contains two listed buildings – Mount Wise House, which will house 18,000 sq ft of offices, and Admiralty House, which will be converted into a boutique hotel. A nuclear bunker on the site will be used for data storage, and the cricket field will be retained. A further 16,500 sq ft of community facilities, including a gym, will be built.

Angus Macdonald , director of Mount Wise, said: ‘Mount Wise has effectively been closed off to the public for many years and this planning decision is an exciting step towards re-integrating it into the community and the wider regeneration of Devonport.’

Work is scheduled to start on site in summer 2008. Mount Wise was advised by Alder King and architect 3W.