24 January 2016
The Ministry of Defence is selling off 12 sites including five airfields, the government announced earlier this week. The sale is expected to generate £500m and provide land for 15,000 houses, the MoD said.
These sites will form the first tranche of the MOD’s plan to reduce by 30 per cent the size of its built estate. MOD estate spans one per cent of all UK land and covers 452,000 hectares. Further sites to be sold off will be announced in “due course”, with a full list published in the Footprint Strategy later in 2016.
Defence Minister Mark Lancaster said, “By streamlining the Defence estate, we will ensure that it better meets the needs of the Armed Forces well into the future. 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.”
The 12 sites are:
The US Air Force has already announced it is pulling out of Mildenhall, Alconbury and Molesworth.
2 comments
I don’t agree with this sell off just to raise funds , as the Government of the are not funding the MOD as much, we do not need more house there is enough to go around , We should respect our history more , as Pilots and Aircrews lost their lives during the War Years , and never to return to their homelands
I agree, our government is too free with giving away our money. If we where to still be trapped in the EU next year it would cost the British taxpayer over £30Billion NET thanks to Mr Blair giving away the rebate.
My uncle Howard Higgins’s body was never found, he crashed somewhere in a Normandie field. If they are going to capitalise the money should go towards our border force and the land used for industry and housing for British youngsters.