BAE Systems Proposes VR Training Facility at Former Debenhams Site

A defense company has submitted a proposal to convert a previously occupied Debenhams department store into an “experiential” learning center. Specifically, BAE Systems presented a planning application for the Barrow, Cumbria, location to the Westmorland and Furness Council. The firm stated its intention to transform the former Barrow store into a duplicate of its submarine construction facilities. This initiative aims to enable employees to “more realistically” engage with the company’s operational processes and functions. BAE serves as Barrow’s primary employer, managing the United Kingdom’s largest shipyard there. Debenhams ceased operations in 2021, and the defense company acquired this site along with several other vacant retail units the following year. BAE’s objective is to establish an educational facility within the town center as part of a venture named the Portland Walk Campus (PWC). The planned PWC Hall is designed to incorporate simulated environments for practical work assignments, along with workshop and machinery zones. Additionally, it will feature meeting rooms, offices, demonstration spaces, and a virtual reality section, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The planning application is presently undergoing public consultation.