HRH The Duchess of Cornwall will officially open the new BBC South West Headquarters in Plymouth

Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall will officially open the new BBC South West Headquarters in Plymouth on Wednesday 20 July 2016.

Published: 7 July 2016
We are so honoured that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall has accepted our invitation to open the new BBC South West Headquarters.
— Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming, BBC South West

For the last two years BBC South West has undertaken an ambitious redevelopment of its headquarters in Plymouth. The multi-million pound investment is the biggest BBC building project outside London in recent years. The new headquarters is home to cutting-edge newsgathering and broadcasting technology and future-proofs the BBC’s commitment to the South West, a commitment that began in 1924 when the first BBC offices in Plymouth were built.

The Duchess will be given a guided tour of the new BBC South West Headquarters by the Head of Regional and Local Programming for the BBC, Leo Devine. The tour will incorporate the BBC Radio Devon studios, BBC Spotlight studio, and the BBC Newsroom that houses the region’s documentary, investigative and digital journalism teams. The Duchess will unveil a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening.

Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming, for BBC South West, says: “We are so honoured that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall has accepted our invitation to open the new BBC South West Headquarters. As a team we are incredibly proud of this major project which reinforces our commitment to the region’s audience as the biggest national broadcaster in the area.”

Audiences are able to follow the royal visit on BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Spotlight and BBC Online.

Notes to Editors

The BBC appointed local architects AWW and project managers AECOM to complete the redevelopment project. Planning permission was granted by Plymouth City Council.

The new headquarters of BBC South West has achieved a SKA silver award in environmental credentials. Environmental benefits include:

  • LED lighting
  • Solar panels on the roof
  • Free cooling
  • Electric car charging points for BBC vehicles
  • Bike stores and staff showers

BBC South West – Useful Facts

  • BBC South West’s portfolio includes: BBC Spotlight, BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, Sunday Politics South West, BBC Inside Out South West, BBC News Online South West and one-off documentaries for BBC network television and radio
  • BBC South West employs 150 people in Plymouth and a further 100 people in the region
  • BBC South West is home to the most watched regional TV news programme in England, BBC Spotlight
  • Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming sits on the following boards: Non-Exec Director of South West Film and Television Archive, Non-Exec Director Celtic Media Association, Member of the Leadership Group of Mayflower 400 and Member of the Plymouth History Centre stakeholder group

An average week in 2015 saw:

  • 897,000 people watch the BBC regional TV bulletin in the South West
  • 424,000 people listen to one of the BBC’s Local Radio Stations in the South West
  • 1.2m UK unique browsers visit BBC News Online content about the South West

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