Willmott Dixon has completed and handed over an £11.6m Physical and Recreational Training Centre (P&RTC) at Kendrew Barracks in Cottesmore, offering cutting-edge fitness facilities for around 1,800 soldiers and their families.

The facility was officially opened by Belinda Lunn, Army Basing Programme Senior Responsible Owner, who cut the ribbon alongside Lt Col Steve Fox (Head of Establishment), Keith Yarham (Willmott Dixon’s National Sector Lead for Defence) and Louise Ryder of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Delivered for the Army by the DIO in partnership with Willmott Dixon and AECOM, the scheme is the final project to complete under the Army Basing Programme, funded through the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Army Programme.

Developed in close consultation with Station staff and experts from the Royal Army Physical Training Corps, the 2,443m² centre provides a versatile training environment comprising a dedicated strength and conditioning suite, squash courts, a sprung-timber sports hall, offices for Physical Training Instructors, and upgraded changing and shower areas. Solar panels and secure cycle storage underpin the Station’s green travel plan and Defence's broader environmental goals.

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

The gym forms one part of a wider £61m estate investment at Kendrew Barracks being delivered by Willmott Dixon via the Crown Commercial Service framework. The broader programme covers 15 new buildings over approximately 13,000m², including 173 kennels for 1 Military Working Dogs Regiment, a veterinary centre, squadron offices, additional training facilities, and conversion of a hangar into a new Regimental Headquarters. A 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."

Completion of the P&RTC strengthens Willmott Dixon's credentials across defence infrastructure, highlighting the company's capability to manage complex programmes on live, operational bases where security, operational sensitivity and continuity for personnel are paramount.

The appointment of Keith Yarham as National Sector Lead for Defence in 2025 reflects the firm’s strategic focus on the sector. The Strategic Defence Review has set out the largest sustained rise in defence spending since the Cold War, targeting 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and 3% in the next Parliament. Major initiatives such as the £5.1bn Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio and more than £7bn for military accommodation renewal this Parliament are opening significant opportunities for construction.