Photo: Belinda Lunn, Army Basing Programme Senior Responsible Owner, cuts the ribbon to officially open the new gym facility, joined by (left to right) Lt Col Steve Fox, Head of Establishment; Keith Yarham, National Sector Lead for Defence at Willmott Dixon; and Louise Ryder, Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

Willmott Dixon has handed over a new £11.6m Physical and Recreational Training Centre (P&RTC) at Kendrew Barracks, Cottesmore, providing state-of-the-art fitness facilities for around 1,800 soldiers and their families.

The facility, delivered for the Army by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) in partnership with Willmott Dixon and AECOM, marks a major milestone as the final project completed under the Army Basing Programme, funded by the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme.

Designed in close collaboration with Station staff and specialists from the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, the 2,443m² centre provides a modern, adaptable training environment featuring a dedicated strength and conditioning suite, squash courts, a sprung-timber sports hall, offices for Physical Training Instructors, and modern changing and shower facilities. Solar panels and secure cycle storage support the Station’s green travel plan and Defence’s wider environmental commitments.

The centre will serve existing units at Kendrew Barracks, including 1st and 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, HQ 7th Light Mechanised Brigade Combat Team, and Joint Military Command Centre. It will also support 1 Military Working Dog Regiment and 20 Army Education Corps, which are due to relocate to the site by 2028, followed by 36 Engineer Regiment and other lodger units from 2029 onwards.

Part of a Major Defence Estate Programme

The gym is one element of a £61m estate investment programme that Willmott Dixon is delivering at Kendrew Barracks, procured through the Crown Commercial Service framework. The wider programme involves creating 15 new buildings across some 13,000m², including 173 new kennels for 1 Military Working Dogs Regiment, a veterinary centre, squadron offices, training facilities, and the repurposing of a hangar as a new Regimental Headquarters. A brand-new Military Working Dogs compound is scheduled to complete later this year.

Nick Heath, director at Willmott Dixon:

“The new Physical and Recreational Training Centre exemplifies the power of collaboration. Willmott Dixon is proud to have worked closely with the DIO and AECOM to deliver an ultra-modern facility that will support the wellbeing of our nation’s soldiers and their families for many years to come, and the end product is a testament to what can be achieved through strong teamwork and shared commitment.”

Belinda Lunn, Army Basing Programme Senior Responsible Owner and Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme Director:

“This new facility is a significant investment in the health, wellbeing and readiness of our people. Providing modern, flexible training spaces like this is central to ensuring soldiers have the right environment to thrive, both physically and mentally. Its delivery reflects our ongoing commitment to modernising the Defence estate and supporting those who live, work and train on it every day.”

Warren Webster, DIO MPP Army Programme Director:

“We are immensely proud to deliver this fantastic new gym at Kendrew Barracks for the Army, designed by listening to the experts about what soldiers actually need and want in a gym. It forms part of a wider series of improvements at the site which will collectively maximise our war-fighters’ ability to operate, deter, fight and win.”

Growing Defence Sector Expertise

The successful delivery of the P&RTC reinforces Willmott Dixon’s growing credentials in defence infrastructure, a sector the company is actively developing as a strategic priority. The work at Kendrew Barracks demonstrates the company’s ability to deliver complex construction programmes on live, operational military sites – where security awareness, operational sensitivity, and maintaining continuity for serving personnel are essential.

The appointment of Keith Yarham as National Sector Lead for Defence in 2025 underlines the company’s commitment to the sector. The Strategic Defence Review has set out the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, with spending rising to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3% in the next Parliament. Flagship programmes including the £5.1bn Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio and over £7bn committed for military accommodation renewal this Parliament are creating significant opportunities for the construction sector.

Willmott Dixon holds the Gold award under the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme – the highest level of recognition for organisations that support the Armed Forces community – championing pathways for service leavers and veterans into construction careers.