Plymouth Academy to Close Monday for Investigation of Unidentified Objects at Construction Site

Millbay Academy in Plymouth is scheduled to close on Monday as investigative work commences following the discovery of two unknown objects at a local building site. The academy announced it would be closed to secondary pupils “as a precautionary measure.” Plymouth City Council reported that these metallic items were found in December 2023 at a construction site situated between Bath Street and Martin Street, within the city’s Millbay area. On Thursday, the council stated that an evacuation was not planned, but it was “planning for all eventualities” in advance of the investigation beginning Monday. Residents and a restaurant owner have voiced apprehension after being informed they might need to evacuate. Ian Creasy, one of the residents advised to pack a bag, commented: “You can’t afford to take the chance because if it goes bang then it is a lot of people.” He added, “I would not accuse the council of overestimating it because the potential is as wide as you want it to be.” When asked if he would evacuate his home, he expressed a preference not to get “blown sky high.” He also mentioned his expectation that the council would provide a “reasonable service.” David Jenkins, owner of Salumi Bar and Eatery, expressed concern about the potential necessity of closing his business. “It will be loss of revenue but obviously you need to take into consideration people’s safety,” he said. He continued, “If something is there, then people need to be evacuated and businesses will have to close and be removed from the area for those precautions.” Mr. Jenkins indicated that the impact on his business would be “massive” if the area were to be shut down for a few days. He noted, “We have our first bookings for Christmas next week,” and expressed hope that “they don’t find anything and it all blows over.” Resident Yaz Azizi stated that the council had a duty to ensure the safety of everyone in the area. “We will have to find a way of dealing with it,” he remarked. The council communicated that the items were believed to be “most likely harmless metal objects.” It advised: “If you live in the Millbay area and are leaving the area on Monday morning for work or for any other reason, you may want to prepare in advance.” Additionally, it suggested that “those planning ahead might want to think about what friends or family they could stay with if a cordon was in place overnight, or what arrangements they would need to make for their pets.” In a post on its website, Millbay Academy explained its decision to close the school to allow the investigation to proceed without disrupting students. The academy’s statement read: “This decision supports safety during investigative work on two underground objects identified near the school site. While these items are likely harmless remnants of old infrastructure, further inspection will be carried out by local authority experts to confirm.”