Better Defence Estate strategy released

Homeland November 9, 2016

Following a review into the MOD estate by military leaders, the ‘Better Defence Estate’ strategy will deliver a more efficient, modern and capability-focused defence estate.

Some £4Bn of investment has been announced by Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, which will help to support Britain’s modern forces and their families.

The investment will be implemented into facilities which will create a better defence estate for the UK’s Armed Forces and their families. Following a review into the MOD estate by military leaders, the ‘Better Defence Estate’ strategy will deliver a more efficient, modern and capability-focused defence estate.

The announcement follows on from last week’s pledge to invest £1.1Bn at Salisbury Plain, providing facilities for those returning from overseas bases; meaning more than £5Bn is to be spent on Army infrastructure within the next five years.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “We have been spending billions maintaining a defence estate that doesn’t meet the needs of our Armed Forces. This plan delivers an estate fit for our forces and their families. By putting money where it is needed, we will provide better facilities to train our Armed Forces and deliver more stability for military families.”

The investment will see the most significant changes to defence infrastructure since the Second World War, with 91 sites owned or managed by the MOD set to be sold. The money raised from the sale of over 32,500 acres of excess land will be reinvested back into defence, creating areas of military expertise in specific locations around the country.

The sites include ten surplus airfields and five golf courses, adding to the MOD’s contribution to providing enough land for 55,000 homes, which is tied to the Government’s ambition of creating 160,000 new homes by 2020.

Significant economic benefits will be seen, with new employment opportunities created for construction and service industries across the UK.

The Defence Secretary also confirmed the intended future locations for a number of the 35 sites the MOD has already announced are due for release.

The Better Defence Estate strategy, is designed to save the taxpayer some £140M within the next ten years, while the structure will see personnel gain a more permanent base, with less relocations. This will create greater long-term stability and certainty for the Armed Forces and their families, with bases located where military families can gain access to better employment opportunities, helping them to settle into communities, buy their own houses and have stable schooling for their children.