A NEW kitchen and dining area is on the way to Nesscliffe Training Camp.

Planning permission was granted this week for the modern building which will be able to cater for at least 700 people and provide packed lunches for a further 200.

It will replace the ageing modular type buildings currently used which came over to the military facility after the Athens Olympics in 2004.

Rob Davis, of engineering consultancy firm Fairhurst, said: “Having been brought over from the 2004 Athens Olympics, the building modules are now in a state of serious disrepair.

“The structural integrity of the building is becoming unsound and is failing to support kitchen equipment and the dining area.

“Levels of supporting maintenance are high in order to keep the facility open.

“All the building modules are failing as a result of age and weather. They are assessed as being not recoverable units.

“Without a kitchen the camp will be unable to function and support its required outputs.”

The camp is used for pre-operational training, operations and as a field hospital and for field workshops by regular, reserve and cadet units.

It also hosts the Crucial Crew life skills course to teach local Year Six primary pupils about the dangers of drugs, the sea, railways, plus bullying and stranger danger.

Mr Davis continued: “The size of the building has been governed by the number of people that are to be fed.

“Up to 700 people to be fed in-house [in two sittings], with 200 container/packed lunches to go out on operations.

“Ministry of Defence guidelines stipulates the size and number of rooms required to provide a sufficient service for the required number of diners.

“The former of the building has developed from existing MOD facilities of a similar nature and a recognised system to provide the service.

“Back-of-house catering facilities are separated from the diners, both areas having a suitable flow from start to end of either process – cooking or eating.”