Debut Services (South West), the joint venture formed by the partners, will build two new buildings, a marina, jetty and slipway to support relocating Royal Marines preparing to use amphibious landing craft for operations.

Planning permission and statutory marine consent for the new facilities at Weston Mill Lake were granted last month and work on the project should start on site in October 2011.

One building will be a base for HQ for both 10 (Landing Craft) Training Squadron Royal Marines and 539 Assault Squadron Royal Marines, as well as training rooms and waterside facilities.

The other building will house landing craft and mechanical transport engineering workshops, with a large expanse of hard-standing available for landing craft storage.

Lt Col Paul Clark RM said: “Creating these new facilities will allow the Royal Marines to train and operate more efficiently in using landing craft, cementing Devonport’s position as a national centre of excellence in this area.”

The slipway and jetty will provide landing craft launch and recovery facilities and include a mobile craft hoist capable of lifting landing craft out of the water.

Existing pontoons will be extended, providing extra landing craft berthing, as well as coxswain training and refuelling facilities.

Paul Nix, Debut’s Core Works Director added “Our team has been working on this complex scheme for some time, and we are extremely pleased that we have now been awarded the contract to build these new facilities.

Construction should complete in December 2012 with RM occupancy commencing in early 2013.