Defence Secretary announces £250M investment in new homes for service families
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced a £250 million investment to build new homes for Service personnel and their families on Salisbury Plain.
The significant investment will see nearly 1000 new homes built in three locations across Salisbury Plain, the British Army’s largest training area in the UK. The locations for the new housing are Bulford, Larkhill and Ludgershall.
The new homes, which will be built by British construction company Lovell, will offer modern three and four bedroom accommodation, as well as a number of bungalows and adapted homes for families with specific needs, such as wheelchair access. Work on the new homes, which are being built under the Army Basing Programme (ABP), is expected to be completed in May 2020.
The new homes will support Service personnel and their families relocating from Germany in 2019 and also units moving within the UK.
Pre-construction work on the project has already begun, including off-site highways to facilitate access to the new homes. The returning troops can expect modern accommodation, as well as access to catering, retail and leisure facilities.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
This considerable investment in nearly 1,000 new homes is a reflection of our commitment to supporting Armed Forces families. Service families make an immense contribution to our country and I’m delighted to announce this £250 million funding for new homes to welcome our troops relocating from Germany.
The £250 million investment comes alongside a further £90 million in road and utility improvements in support of the three developments. £1.1 billion has already pledged to the Salisbury Plain area for living and working accommodation ‘behind the wire’ including 2,500 bed spaces for single soldiers and the construction, conversion or refurbishment of nearly 250 other buildings such as offices, garages, workshops and mess facilities.
The Army is also working closely with Wiltshire Council to ensure that the soldiers and their families have access to all of the services they need, including education and health facilities. Wiltshire Council is spending over £20 million of the MOD’s contribution towards local community services in support of education provision across all age ranges.
Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood said:
Investing not only in new homes but in all the things that help to make a place feel like home, such as education, infrastructure and leisure facilities, will make a big difference for those returning to the UK after being posted abroad. This boost to the area will provide a close-knit community for Armed Forces and their families for years to come.
The Army Basing Programme has also recently completed building and refurbishment of accommodation at a number of other sites across the country in support of Troops relocating from Germany and within the UK. The ABP has also invested in new facilities in Kinloss, Leuchars, Catterick, South Cerney and North Luffenham, and significant refurbishments have taken place at a number of other MOD sites including York, Aldershot and Thorney Island.