PLANS to transform a quarry in Tidenham, Chepstow, into a marine engineering facility have been approved by the Forest of Dean District Council.

The development is led by the ocean technology company called DEEP, and will take place at the old National Diving and Activity Centre, which was formerly Dayhouse Quarry, a source of limestone, which flooded in 1996.

The National Diving & Activity Centre opened in 2003 as an inland scuba diving site, popular with technical and free divers due to the depths of up to 80 metres, with different underwater attractions.

It closed permanently in February 2022, which was when it was bought by DEEP, who at the time were described as "a company seeking to develop equipment to enable people to live deep under water."

DEEP aims to develop technologies that will enable a “permanent human presence” at depths of over 650 feet beneath the ocean by 2027.

Their plans include constructing a modern marine engineering facility with research spaces, offices, warehousing, medical and manufacturing facilities, and staff accommodation.

The project will add 31,000 square metres of floorspace to the site, with individual buildings capped at 9,000 square metres and a maximum height of three storeys.

Site access will include them creating a new junction off the A48 with enhanced visibility measures.

Researchers and deep-sea workers can spend limited time at such depths due to technological constraints.

This development will act as a testing site for technologies enabling sea workers to stay underwater at depth for longer, marking a "significant step forward in ocean exploration."

Chris Potts, senior director at Saddles, who has worked with DEEP for over three years, highlighted the importance of the project describing it as: "a renaissance in ocean exploration.”

The project was approved unanimously by the planning committee, with work set to begin once final planning approval is secured for the site’s design and layout.

With the backing of both the local community and the council, the new facility is poised to play a pivotal role in advancing ocean exploration and marine technology.