Safety fears at block stop sailors courses
DOZENS of Royal Navy sailors have been left in career limbo after a dodgy accommodation block led to several promotion courses being canned in a move branded ‘outrageous’ and ‘dreadful’ by an admiral.
HMSCollingwoodhasbeen forcedtotemporarilyclosethe Vivian wing at the Fareham baseoversafetyconcernswith its faulty fire alarm system.
The building, which was shut last month, had been home to dozens of sailors on six key promotion courses for LeadingHandsandPettyOfficers - courses which have since been postponed.
Thenavyadmittedthesituation was ‘regrettable’ but insisted it was ‘working hard to ensure’ no sailor’s career has been‘disadvantagedasaresult’ of the woes.
However, sources in the Senior Service have told The News they are uncertain over when the sailors would be able to progress on their course.
And in a further blow for naval moral, insiders claimed some of those due to attend the courses were now considering quitting the navy altogether, out of frustration over the fiasco.
Now a furious former assistant chief of naval staff has told of his outrage at the problemandhasdemandedthattop brass‘usetheirimagination’to solve it.
Retired Vice Admiral Bob Cooling told The News: ‘It sounds ridiculous that these young men and women are beingdeniedthisopportunity. It’s extremely sad and I’m very frustrated by it.
‘These are vital courses. They are absolutely key milestones in a young person’s career.However,theygetlimited opportunities to attend courses like these because of their rotational sea duties.
‘We cannot afford to lose young men and women who are dedicated enough to want to progress themselves on a promotion course - only then tobefrustratedatthelastminute and to then start thinking about resigning. It’s dreadful and needs to be sorted out.’
Sources on the base have described the Vivian block as ‘sub par’, ‘tatty’ and ‘not somewhere you would want to stay’ for long periods of time.
While one insider said the falloutfromtheblock’sclosure could stunt their career prospects.
‘This whole experience couldpushmycareerbacktwo yearsforpromotion,’thesailor said, adding a backlog of ‘a few hundred’peoplehadbeencreatedasaresultVivian’sclosure.
ViceAdmCoolinglastnight appealed for the navy to resume the promotion courses and employ ‘human fire detectors’ to patrol the building while the fire alarms are fixed.
He added: ‘There will be some solution to this. We have just got to work harder to find it.’
TheDefenceInfrastructure Organisation is in the process of fixing the building, The News understands.
A spokeswoman for the Royal Navy added: ‘The Royal Navy takes the safety of its personnel seriously and has temporarily closed Vivian accommodationblockwhilecontractors fix an issue with the fire alarm system.
‘Personnel have been accommodated elsewhere while work is ongoing and regrettably some career courses have had to be rescheduled.
‘The Royal Navy is working hard to ensure that no individual’scareerhasbeendisadvantaged as a result.’