Official DPRTE 2022 event partner, the Ministry of Defence, has published its Strategy for Defence Infrastructure – outlining its plans for the transformation and development of the Defence estate.
The Strategy provides the framework for the transformation and modernisation of the Defence estate and development of its assets over the coming decades as it seeks to implement its vision of a ‘safe estate, fit for purpose to deliver military capability and support our people’.
The MOD spends around 12% of its budget on the defence estate, which in 2019/20 totalled £4.6bn. As pressures on the Defence budget have increased, the defence estate has found its investment reduced.
The MOD and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) continue to face the challenge of reducing the size of the defence estate to be better aligned to current and future Armed Forces’ size and make up.
The Strategy highlights a number of capability support milestones achieved since 2015 such as the Army Basing Programme; the completion of the £1.3bn Single Living Accommodation Modernisation; Improvements to Naval Bases at Clyde; and the reduction in estate related greenhouse gas emissions by 39% to name but a few.
However, the need to ensure the defence estate is for purpose – and at the same time -reduce its size is a key focus of the document.
Significant planning and investment into the defence estate has already been highlighted in the publication of last year’s Integrated Review and its associated strategies and the Strategy underscores these intentions.
This includes raising the standard of living accommodation for service personnel, improving the quality of workplaces and maintaining facilities to support Defence’s delivery of globally leading technologies.
The estate is fundamental to military capability and this strategy will not only direct activity across Defence infrastructure but provide an ambitious landmark for future aims, such as contributing to the UK’s Net Zero and sustainability commitments in response to the growing threat of climate change.
Writing in the Strategy’s foreword, Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin, who will delivering a keynote address at DPRTE, said: “Building on Defence’s future requirements identified following publication of the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper, within this strategy we have developed a clear vision to transform and modernise the estate.
“Through delivering the Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio and working with Commands to prioritise assets, we will enable the improved delivery of Defence capability and outputs across the estate. The results of this work and the realisation of this strategy will improve the standard of living and working accommodation for our people over generations to come. It will also help the UK achieve our vital net zero and sustainability commitments, whilst ensuring the estate is resilient to future threats, whether from climate change or our adversaries.
“Defence supports UK growth and the Government’s Levelling Up agenda through investment and development. We are committed to delivering this ambitious strategy, which will require all those within the MOD infrastructure enterprise to play their part, together in collaboration with our partners across wider Government, the Devolved Administrations, local government and industry.
“We are all proud of the amazing work our Armed Forces carry out protecting our country. And we are committed to providing a Defence estate and facilities fit for all personnel, one of which everyone can be proud.”
To read the report in full, click here.
The Ministry of Defence is an official DPRTE event partner
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Defence Infrastructure Organisation DIO DPRTE DPRTE 2022 infrastructure Jeremy Quin Ministry of Defence
Post written by: Matt Brown
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