New homes boom in £1.7bn investment at MoD bases
Defence chief Fallon unveils expansion cash for three sites north of Border
HUNDREDS of new homes will be built in communities to accommodate thousands of extra military staff deployed in Scotland under a multi-billion pound expansion of the country’s military bases.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon yesterday announced an initial £1.7 billion investment programme in the Clyde Naval base, RAF Lossiemouth and Leuchars in Fife.
Under the programme, the MoD and Argyll and Bute Council are close to signing a memorandum of understanding that will see homes, schools and community facilities jointly built outside the Faslane base for new personnel.
It is part of a £1.3bn upgrade to Faslane’s waterfront, engineering support, accommodation and security in advance of the entire UK submarine fleet being based on the Clyde by 2022.
Faslane is currently home to seven submarines and 6,500 staff, but this will increase to 12 and 8,200 under the expansion.
The signing of the memorandum will see the council and MoD work together to deliver infrastructure and opportunities for Royal Navy families and local people.
RAF Lossiemouth, in Moray, will also see a £400 million upgrade to its runways, taxiways and accommodation for nine new Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, the replacement for the axed Nimrod fleet and an additional Typhoon squadron.
The total cost of the RAF Lossiemouth upgrade will be £3billion and see thousands of extra staff move into the area.
Leuchars Station will also be expanded to become the main hub for Army activity in Scotland, while investment will also be made in a versatile Army Adaptive Force Brigade and providing resilience support to Scottish civil authorities.
Sir Michael made the increased infrastructure spending announcement as Scotland’s defence board met in Edinburgh for the first time.
He said: “Scotland is on the frontline of defending the United Kingdom from growing threats at sea, in the air and on land.”
The move follows the announcement in November that eight military sites north of the Border will close in the next 15 years, cutting the defence estate by 20per cent.
At the time, Sir Michael told the House of Commons that military bases would instead be at ‘’fewer, better locations’’ in Scotland.
Major Army bases at Fort George, near Ardersier, north of Inverness; Glencorse Barracks near Penicuik, Midlothian; and Redford Cavalry and Infantry Barracks in Edinburgh are among more than 56 sites to shut across the UK.
Naval base MoD Caledonia in Rosyth, Fife; Condor Airfield, near Arbroath, Angus; Craigiehall Barracks in Edinburgh; and Forthside Barracks in Stirling will also close.
Scottish Government Veterans Secretary Keith Brown said: “The Defence Secretary’s announcement of another £1.3 billion on infrastructure for the Trident missile-carrying fleet once again underlines the folly of spending countless billions of pounds on nuclear weapons at the direct expense of investment in conventional forces.
“Today’s announcement also fails to acknowledge Sir Michael recently made the most severe round of cuts to defence ever imposed on Scotland.
“Scotland makes a strong contribution to defence and there is serious opposition to these cuts.
“I have met local authorities from the areas hit hardest by these cuts and we requested that MoD ministers meet the communities affected to discuss the matter.
“They have repeatedly refused to do so.”
‘‘ Scotland is on the frontline of defending the United Kingdom from growing threats at sea, in the air and on land