Thousands of new homes are to be built on surplus Ministry of Defence (MoD) land as part of new plans unveiled by the Labour Government. The homes, some of which are expected to be for troops, their families and veterans, are set to support the Government’s pledge to build 1.5 million homes by next Parliament.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the new approach will look to “get over the failings of the system we’ve seen in the last 15 years”. He said: “Instead of simply looking to sell them [the land] off for a quick buck, and not even doing that effectively, this will say, ‘well, what’s the maximum impact we can have on local jobs? ‘What’s the maximum way that we can build a mix of homes?'”
The Defence Secretary said “at least 100,000” new homes could be built on surplus MoD land in the long-term and it’s hoped the plans could also help British troops get on the housing ladder more easily.
A cross-Government task force – led by Mr Healey, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Chancellor Rachel Reeves – has been formed to lead the project which aims to “break the log jam” and make better use of the land.
Mr Healey said the ambition is to have “as many homes built before the end of this Parliament as possible”.
A former barracks in Ripon, Yorkshire, will be transferred to Homes England to allow for the build of 1,300 homes, with construction expected to start within 12 months.
The new partnership also hopes to build thousands of homes by partially releasing land at Chetwynd Barracks, Nottinghamshire, and Wyton airfield, Cambridgeshire.
