MOD'S £50m improvement plan for military accommodation

Hundreds of service personnel and their families will benefit from accommodation improvements sooner than expected, following a £50m injection from the Treasury. The money, which was announced as part of the Budget on 22 April, is part of a wider package of Government fiscal stimulus measures in the construction sector.

The Ministry of Defence has today announced that the extra investment is being spent on improvements to both Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and Service Family Accommodation (SFA) throughout the UK which will benefit members of all three Services.

Kevan Jones, Under Secretary of State for Defence, said:

"The announcement to advance £50m for improving service accommodation is great news for the thousands of service personnel and their families whose homes can now be refurbished even sooner than planned. These funds will allow us to target improvements at those returning from operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"In the week leading up to Armed Forces day on Saturday, this is a further opportunity to prove that we are absolutely committed to ensuring that service personnel and their families get the decent standards of accommodation that they deserve."

Welcoming today's announcement, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence, Chief Executive of Defence Estates, said:

"More than 1,500 Service personnel will benefit directly from this initiative. The advance of spend for capital projects, together with £10m of funding which we have also made available, will allow us to accelerate our building and modernisation programme. This is excellent news for everyone."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in April that £50m was being advanced from the years 2010/11 and 2011/12 to the current year (2009/10) for spending on Service accommodation.

Contacts:

Ministry of Defence

Email: [email protected]

Notes to editors:

1. The MOD's £50m advance does not represent additional funding. It is being advanced from the years 2010/11 and 2011/12 to the current year (2009/10) and will need to be repaid in future years: £25m in 2010/11 and £25m in 2011/12.

2. The MoD is spending £8.4 billion on housing and other accommodation over the next decade - evidence of the commitment to providing top quality accommodation for members of the armed forces and their families.

3. The MoD maintains some 68,200 families' homes and around 160,000 single living bed spaces across a number of sites in 16 countries. It also leases a further 1,175 substitute SFA from the commercial market.

4. Since 2003, over 26,000 new or upgraded Single Living Accommodation (SLA) bed spaces have been delivered, with a further 39,000 currently planned to be delivered over the next 10 years. Major examples include 2,246 at Colchester Garrison, 832 bedspaces at Faslane, more than 2,000 in Germany and 490 at RAF Honington.

Further information:
Press enquiries to Hannah Fletcher, MOD Press Office on: 020 7218 7942
Or Pragati Baddhan, Defence Estates on: 0121 311 3678 or 07881 681 330
MOD website: http://www.mod.uk Defence Estates website: http://www.defence-estates.mod.uk

PROJECTS

SFA

SFA in South Cerney, Cirencester
This project is for the provision of SFA for 29 Regt RLC in Duke of Gloucester Barracks.

Peninsula Towers
Improvement work to Peninsular Towers, including the upgrading of kitchens, bathrooms, communal areas, lifts and redecoration.

SLA

ARMY

SLA in Lille Bks, Aldershot Military Town
Under Project Allenby Connaught 88 Junior Rank beds are to be constructed in 4 new modular buildings (2 x 8 man houses and 2 x 36 man blocks) before 31 March 10.

SLA in Mooltan Bks, Tidworth
Under Project Allenby Connaught, the advancement sees 160 Junior Rank beds in 6 new modular buildings (2 x 8 man houses and 4 x 36 man blocks) being advanced from 31 May 12 to delivery before 31 Mar 10.

SLA in Woolwich, London
This project provides 102 x Z-scale SLAM bed spaces for the junior ranks. These bed spaces will be in 2 blocks This extends the current development of 422 x bed spaces being provided for the Infantry Bn from Hounslow.

SLA in Marchwood, Southampton
This project is the provision of SLA for 17 Port and Maritime Regt RLC. Funding for 46 bedspaces will increase the project delivery from 68 to 114 bedspaces and complete all of the required Junior Ranks SLA work in one phase.

SLA at RSME, Minley
A significant element of the 6 year construction programme is the provision of 144 new Z scale bed spaces for JNCOs. The advancement will allow the build to deliver the first 65 refurbished trainee SLA 6 months earlier than had been planned.

NAVY

Royal Marines Barracks Chivenor
Refurbishment of 70 Officers bedspaces, used by personnel returned from OP HERRICK, to include redecoration and upgrade ablutions.

Royal Marines Stonehouse
SLA refurbishment to include redecoration and upgrade of ablution areas for Junior Ranks returned from OP HERRICK. Up to 238 Junior Ranks will benefit.

RN Air Station Culdrose
Upgrade of Officers cabins and ablution areas, with new furniture and redecoration. Up to 200 bedspaces are planned and will benefit individuals returning from OP HERRICK and Gulf Ops.

45 Commando Royal Marines Condor Junior Officers SLA upgrade to include redecoration, new carpets and curtains and upgrade of ablution areas. Up to 48 Junior Officers returned from OP HERRICK will benefit.

29 Commando Royal Artillery, the Citadel
SLA refurbishment to include redecoration and upgrade of ablution areas for Junior Ranks returned from OP HERRICK. Up to 80 refurbished bedspaces will be provided.

Commando Training Centre Royal Marines Lympstone
Training establishment that provides direct support and trained personnel to front line units. Upgrade of 9 ablution areas and utility rooms for Senior Ranks that replaces old 1970s fixtures and fittings. Up to 150 personnel will benefit. Upgrade of 4 ablution areas and utility rooms in Officers SLA. Up to 90 personnel will benefit. £0.1M for upgrade of 2 ablution and utility areas for trainees.

RN Air Station Yeovilton
£1.4M to undertake major SLA refurbishment that includes redecoration, new carpets and curtains and upgrade of ablution areas for Junior Rates/Ranks returned from OP HERRICK and Iraq. Approximately 80 Bedspaces to be improved.

RAF

RAF Halton SNCOs' Mess Towers
Work will modernise 104 bedspaces. This work will include the provision of new fixtures and fittings, internal finishes, and services to both living and ablution areas

RAF Waddington
Work will include the provision of new fixtures and fittings, internal finishes, and services to both living and ablution areas; construction will be phased to allow decanting of personnel.

RAF Wittering
Provision of new fixtures and fittings, internal finishes, and services to both living and ablution areas

RAF Marham
RAF Marham's Officers' Mess (105 bedspaces), plus a Junior ranks BB (20 bedspaces) will be modernised at

RAF Lossiemouth
Work will include the provision of new fixtures and fittings, internal finishes, and services to both living and ablution areas

This is not before time!
I remember in the 70's when one particular RAF Station was closed it was taken over by the Prison Service.
The prison Service declared the accommodation as unsuitable for either inmates or prison officers!
The accommodation, both Married Quarters and Barrack Blocks, had been occupied by serving members of HM Forces up to a few weeks prior to the 'hand-over', but it was all raised to the ground and rebuilt before the prisoners and their guardians moved in...

Incidently, it still surprises me how many civilians still think that servicemen (and women) got their accommodation, food, electricity, council tax, beer, cigarettes etc. etc., free!
Au Contraire!
For instance, in the 90's whilst on Detachment to Turkey on Op Warden (Provide Comfort) I was paying:
rent for my Married Quarter back in the UK,
Sgts' Mess subscriptions for my mess in the UK,
the equivalent to a UK based single man's rent for my accommodation on the American Air Base in Turkey - a 12 man tent and no messing/canteen facility
and we still paid Income Tax.
We either existed on BBQs or ate down the local village for the four month detachment - we were allowed to eat in the American Mess but at extortionate prices which the Brits could not afford...
It was ironic that the British Government, in particular John Major, was instrumental in setting up the Operation [to protect the Iraqi Kurds] and received money to pay for their part in the coalition.
Our colleagues in the coalition (USA & French armed forces) fared much better than us Brits...
The Americans got:
extra money for serving over seas
didn't have to pay tax whilst on Temporary Duty;
the French got:
extra money for serving overseas,
danger money for serving in Turkey,
paid no Tax
and got vouchers to entitle them to eat for free in the American Messes!

It really is about time the British Government(S) started to look after their Armed Forces.

Nick