MP steps up campaign to prevent barracks closure
The campaign to save Maidstone’s barracks has been ramped up a gear.
Maidstone and the Weald MP Helen Grant has been vocal in her opposition to the government’s proposals, which were outlined in the Better Defence Estate Strategy in November.
She chaired a meeting of MPs with similar concerns about bases in their constituencies.
She’s also launching a petition and will be pushing for a parliamentary debate on the matter.
Mrs Grant said: “The meeting was a very welcome chance to compare notes with other MPs about their opposition to the proposed base closures.
“It is clear I am not the only person with concerns about the Better Defence Estate Strategy and the impact it will have on our communities and on service personnel and their families.
“This decision is not fair on those who give so much to our country and deserve to be treated with a great deal more compassion and understanding.
“This rings particularly true for our Gurkhas to whom Maidstone has become their home and for whom the closure of the base would cause the greatest wrench.
“I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with this group of MPs to convince the MoD to reverse the decision to close Invicta Park Barracks.”
Defence secretary and Sevenoaks MP Michael Fallon said 56 sites would close by 2040, bringing the total number of closures announced last year to 91.
Invicta Park Barracks, in Royal Engineers’ Road, is home to the 36 Engineer Regiment of the Royal Engineers and the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, and there are currently no relocation plans.
The 41-hectare site is due to close in 2027, potentially making way for a 1,300-home development, though this figure is questioned by the planning inspector who recommends 500.
Mrs Grant’s cross-party meeting saw MPs from as far as Pembrokeshire and Inverness discuss the impact the closures would have on their communities.