Completion of £60 million upgrade of living quarters for RAF Lossiemouth personnel
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Hundreds of service personnel have had their living quarters significantly improved following the completion of a £60million upgrade at RAF Lossiemouth.
Peterhead House, the seventh and final of a series of apartment blocks on the base, has now been handed over.
In total, the seven blocks contain 426 ensuite bedrooms, with each block also including laundry and kitchen facilities.
The main contractor was the Elgin-based firm Robertson Construction Northern.
Group Captain Jim Lee, RAF Lossiemouth’s station commander, said: “The handover of the final single living accommodation block represents a huge moment.
“The station has become more operationally effective, and a better place to live and work.
“I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed to this endeavour.
“These transformational changes will endure for decades to come.”
As well as design, construction and landscaping, the work required demolishing existing buildings on the site.
Walkways have also been built as well as a new car park with 300 spaces plus a number of charging points for electric vehicles.
Ian Phillips, from Robertson Construction Northern, said: “We’re incredibly proud to play our part in supporting the defence sector and serving personnel.”
“We have ensured that the accommodation and facilities meet user needs and priorities.
“Added to that, we made sure that any disruptions to day-to-day activities at the base were kept to a minimum.”
The upgrades to the living quarters are part of a wider ongoing move to spend £400million at the Moray base to allow it to host the RAF’s new P8 Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft as well as an additional Typhoon Squadron.
This has seen the runway resurfaced, plus the construction of a new fire station and new technical buildings including a Typhoon engineering facility and squadron operations centre.
Upgrades have also been made to utilities and drainage across the site.
Darren Keddie, the project manager from the Defence Infrastructure Organisation said: “It’s fantastic to see the conclusion of several years of close work with our contractors and RAF colleagues on this element of the Lossiemouth Development Programme.
“We want to ensure that our dedicated RAF personnel have suitable and comfortable accommodation to go back to when the working day is done.
“I hope and believe they will be happy with what we’ve provided here.”
Group Captain Pete Beckett, the Lossiemouth Development Programme director, said: “This handover represents a significant milestone. It is the final project to be delivered in support of P8 and Typhoon growth.
“Of all the works we have delivered this one, perhaps, means the most as it is directly focused on our people and making RAF Lossiemouth a better place to both live and work.
“My congratulations must go to Robertsons Construction Group, DIO Major Programmes and Projects, and Tetra Tech for the successful delivery of this key product.
“They should all be rightly proud.”
The final projects for completion under the Lossiemouth Development Project are accommodation and a hangar for the US Navy, which has a small contingent operating from RAF Lossiemouth.
