Growth Alliance Plymouth
“The Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) is a collaborative partnership between Babcock, The Royal Navy and Plymouth City Council working across the city, the private sector and with National Government to enable and deliver the workforce, infrastructure and wider business ecosystem required to drive inclusive, sustainable, long-term growth for the city and wider regional boundaries.”
The need for Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP)
In September 2024, The Ministry of Defence announced an additional £4.4bn investment over 10 years into HMNB and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard to support the next phase of the Royal Navy’s submarine works and the continuous at sea deterrent (CASD). The requirement to maintain the Royal Navy’s fleet in Plymouth extends beyond 2070 and therefore creates an extremely rare, long-term financial commitment to Plymouth and its wider region.
Devonport and the broader defence industry’s local impact is vast. The sector currently contributes 14 per cent of the city's economic output, with HM Naval Base Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard employing 11,600 workers and this number set to rise significantly as a result of the MoD announcement. Investment in Plymouth is nationally significant and links to similar investments in Barrow-in-Furness and Derby. Nationally, The UK’s National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills has forecasted an additional nuclear skills requirement of 40,000 new roles by 2030.
GAP’s vision is to maximise the opportunity for defence investment to support CASD while driving sustainable and inclusive growth, encouraging innovation and building opportunities extending well beyond Plymouth city boundaries into the regional footprint.
A partnership for Plymouth
Babcock, Plymouth City Council and the Royal Navy have established Growth Alliance Plymouth (GAP) as a partnership to ensure the vital defence outputs are delivered into the future whilst supporting the region’s growth. Through working together in partnership, GAP aims to maximise the opportunities that the MOD investment can drive into local communities.
HMNB Devonport employs
11%
of Plymouth's full-time equivalent employment
HMNB Devonport and Babcock's Devonport Royal Dockyard is the daily workplace for
116,00
workers
City growth projects an increased need of
25,000
workers by 2035
The mission
To achieve the programme’s vision, GAP have developed 4 key missions to demonstrate the role that the programme can play in delivering for both defence and the city:
Strong Foundations
Provide the necessary support to HMNB Devonport and Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard in its critical role in national security, helping to grow the local and regional economy and contributing towards economic stability.
Kickstarting economic growth
Deliver growth through partnerships, with a focus on innovation and technology that embraces Marine Autonomy and AI, supporting local people, graduates and veterans to take advantage of the new opportunities.
Regeneration and attraction
To build and deliver an enhanced living and cultural environment, particularly in the city centre, allowing more people to move to Plymouth and encouraging current residents to stay.
Break down barriers to opportunity
A clear focus on skills from pre-16 education through to post-16 skills. This will raise attainment and achievement amongst Plymouth school children, while building skills to enable everyone to take advantage of the opportunities that growth will bring.
Delivering the plan
The delivery approach of GAP includes five interconnected workstreams, with sustainable and inclusive growth as a cross-cutting theme.
Education (Pre-16)
To improve attendance and inclusion within the city’s schools to ensure that the secondary school curriculum best serves Plymouth’s students, whilst also encouraging uptake on STEM subjects and increasing the attainment of GCSEs required for the future career demands of the city through championing local career pathways.
Skills (Post-16)
To address the large emerging skills gap in Plymouth, with 25,000 additional employees being needed over the next 10 years, GAP will achieve this through collaboration and partnership of higher and FE education and training providers, whilst also maximising the potential of the local population through schemes to support the economically inactive gain employment.
City Centre, Housing & Regeneration
To address the housing shortages and high rents across the city whilst in parallel enticing relocation of skilled workforces to the area. In attaining investment, GAP seeks to create a “new town in the city centre” and to continue driving forward housing development across the wider city and urban extensions and regeneration projects that will revitalise the arts, cultural and leisure offerings of the city.
Transport
Ensure the local area has improved sustainable transport systems to respond effectively to the increased demand from the investment in the area, including rail, bus and cycling between the planned new homes in the city centre, travel to work area, the HMNB Devonport dockyard and other skills and innovation hubs across the city.
Business & Innovation
To foster a local community of business and innovation, to support the growth agenda and to develop an inclusive supply-chain ecosystem that supports defence in Plymouth.
Addressing city issues
Within the most
20%
most deprived local authorities in England
12.5%
of children live in absolute low-income families
12,000
new city centre and wider city area homes to be built
Strengthening the city through defence-driven opportunity, innovation and growth.
Resources
Latest GAP News
The Royal Navy has today unveiled its first uncrewed submarine – paving the way for how the UK could operate in the underwater battlespace.
Discussions to tackle the skills shortages in Plymouth have taken place at a roundtable meeting, hosted by John Gane, Managing Director for Babcock’s Devonport site and attended by key city education providers and employers.
Vision outlines shared ambition to provide 10,000 new homes in the city centre