Land for 15,000 new homes released by the Ministry of Defence
Posted 19 January 2016 by
Keith OsborneThe Ministry of Defence (MOD) will release 12 sites, with room for up to 15,000 new homes, as part of the department’s drive for greater efficiency, says defence minister Mark Lancaster.
As well as generating around £500m in income for the ministry, the sale of the land will provide a significant step towards building the tens of thousands of new homes pledged by the government by 2020 as part of its Starter Home Initiative.
The dozen sites announced on Monday form the first tranche of the MOD’s plan to cut its estate by 30%. MOD land covers 1% of the country and the ministry has committed to selling off over 100,000 acres in this parliament, generating around £1bn and providing space for up to 55,000 new homes.
The 12 sites to be released are:
- MoD Feltham, London
- Kneller Hall, Twickenham
- Lodge Hill, Kent
- RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire
- RAF Alconbury in Cambridgeshire
- RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk
- RAF Barnham, Suffolk
- HMS Nelson Wardroom, Portsmouth
- Hullavington Airfield, Wiltshire
- Claro barracks, Ripon
- Deverell barracks, Ripon
- Craigiehall, Edinburgh
Defence minister Mark Lancaster says: “Defence has the strongest incentive to become more efficient; with every pound we make by disposing of excess land reinvested into a defence budget that keeps Britain safe. We are also making an important contribution of 55,000 homes to the wider government housing targets. Every acre that we can free up will ensure that more people have the opportunity to own their own home.”