Thousands of UK Armed Forces families across the UK will have their housing and accommodation improved and more environmentally friendly, thanks to nearly £200-million of new Government funding.
Over 5,000 personnel, plus their families will have homes modernised with new kitchens, bathrooms and furnishings including re-roofing to reduce the risk of mould and damp.
As part of the funding injection 3,500 service homes will be upgraded as well as single living quarters.
The work will also make UK Armed Forces estates more environmentally friendly.
New windows and doors will provide better insulation, energy efficient boilers will drive down bills, and solar panels and electric vehicle charging points will reduce the carbon footprint.
Families with young children will benefit from new play areas, roads will be resurfaced and energy efficient street lighting will be installed as part of the funding.
Improving accommodation and facilities across military estates will also be part of new plans, including replacing 30 WW2 accommodation blocks in Longmoor, Pirbright, Westdown, Knook, Nesscliffe, Castlemartin Camps and providing new accommodation for on-call personnel in Northern Ireland.
The investment is expected to sustain around 2,000 jobs through the work on housing improvements including plumbers, electricians, painters and decorators.
This will be delivered through the existing National Housing Prime contract.
Upgrades will begin in late summer and will be delivered over a period of two years.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak commented on the announcement: “Day in, day out, our Armed Forces make huge personal sacrifices for our country, and it is our duty to ensure they have the best conditions possible.
“This news doesn’t just mean service homes across the country will be upgraded, but will see 2,000 jobs in sectors where they are needed the most, like plumbing and decorating – delivering our Plan for Jobs.”
Over the last four years £530-million has been invested in improvements to Service Family Accommodation.
The additional £200-million funding package will continue to improve the standard of both homes for Service families and single living accommodation on military bases.
Improvements to accommodation sit alongside a suite of recent changes to military accommodation to make it more accessible and flexible for personnel and their families.
The MOD recently introduced new flexible working arrangements, expanded offerings to cohabiting couples and extended the Forces Help to Buy scheme until the end of 2022.
This has allowed military personnel to borrow a deposit of up to half of their annual salary, interest free, to contribute towards buying a home, moving house, or building an extension.
