Plans for a £6.2 million scheme to completely rebuild the Thames Young Mariners outdoor learning centre have been unveiled.

The scheme would see a complete rebuild of the site with the idea of attracting thousands more youngsters all year round.

It would involve constructing a new main building, surrounded by new accommodation blocks.

Thames Young Mariners (TYM) occupies a 25-acre site, including a 10-acre lake, on the banks of the river, midway between Ham House and Teddington Lock.

It is accessed via Riverside Driver in Ham and is surrounded by 200 acres of public open space, which has been designated as a local nature reserve.

While the site sits in Richmond borough it is owned and operated by Surrey County Council through the Surrey Outdoor Learning Development (SOLD) programme.

TYM attracts thousands of children from schools and youth groups to take part in a range of outdoor activities, including canoeing and paddleboarding.

The figure is currently around 23,000 a year and it is hope the new buildings and accommodation will see the centre able to operate throughout the year, increasing the number by over 50%.

The redevelopment scheme has been submitted to Richmond's planning department and committee for approval. To date, there has been one objection to the scale of the development amid claims it could harm the local bat population.

Surrey County Council documents agreeing to push ahead with the scheme, state: "Capital development at Thames Young Mariners will enable SOLD to realise the potential in the site through a significant increase in service capacity, supporting the Council's strategic priorities for children, young people, and families by providing bespoke programmes of personal development, appropriate education, skills training and family support.

"It will further enhance SOLD's ability to work in partnership with services across the Children, Families and Lifelong Learning Directorate to support vulnerable children and young people including children with a social worker, young people in contact with the criminal justice system and children missing education."

The redeveloped centre would be able to operate through the winter as a result of the new accommodation blocks.

The Council said: "Commitment to the £6.2m capital investment would allow TYM to offer an all year-round programme. The lack of year-round residential and day facilities means the site can only operate April – October, with five months of no significant on-site activity.

"Market testing confirms that post-pandemic there is considerable unmet demand from the customer base for year-round and residential facilities.

"The proposed investment in TYM is expected to increase footfall by approximately 54%, double the number of activity sessions held annually, and add a minimum of 150 new nights per year the centre can host residential programmes."

SOLD argues the redevelopment makes economic sense because it would boost income and raise funds to pay off the cost of the scheme. It said, simply trying to maintain the existing old buildings will generate a bill of millions of pounds.