Volunteers fearful for future of heritage site

COUNCIL PLANS TO KNOCK DOWN CENTRE'S PREMISES

- WILLIAM TELFORD

VOLUNTEERS at Devonport Naval Heritage Centre are up in arms after learning that Plymouth City Council wants to knock down two dockyard buildings it uses - to make room for industrial units. They have called the proposed demolition "senseless cultural vandalism" which "treads all over Plymouth's naval heritage".

The council is planning to pay the Government £367,000 in "compensation" for the one-storey buildings, which are not listed. It said the demolition is necessary to make room for the expansion of the Oceansgate freeport area and stressed the Naval Heritage Centre does not have to close and can remain in other buildings.

Volunteers who run the centre, which records the role Devonport Dockyard played while supporting the Navy during wartime, said tearing down the buildings will mean they lose a café, toilets, exhibits space, workshops, a lecture room and most of its car park.

The centre was due to close yesterday, with its website saying it will "hopefully" reopen in August. A spokesperson for the volunteers said the council was "riding roughshod over public opinion".