1,300 homes earmarked for army barracks site

The first site covered by a deal between Homes England and the Ministry of Defence to use spare military land to build housing is to be developed for up to 1,300 new homes.

Land at Claro and Deverell Barracks in Ripon, North Yorkshire, will be developed to provide the homes as well as commercial space, Homes England and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) have jointly announced.

The scheme is the first site to be progressed as part of a partnership announced in February this year between Homes England, the government’s housing delivery agency, and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) to develop surplus MoD land across the country.

Homes England said that following an initial event with stakeholders including Ripon city council and Harrogate borough council to discuss a vision for the future of the site it was now planning a series of community engagement sessions later this summer.

Homes England and the MoD said their partnership would develop seven sites: the Claro and Deverell Barracks, RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire; MoD Site Four in Stafford; MDPGA Wethersfield in Braintree, Essex; Swynnerton Training Camp in Stone, Staffordshire; Prince William of Gloucester Barracks in Grantham, Lincolnshire; and Chetwynd Barracks in Chilwell, Nottinghamshire.

Marie Kiddell, head of public sector land at Homes England said: “We are working hard to define our masterplan for Ripon Barracks and are keen to work with the community to ensure we are addressing the needs of the local area.

“Following the community engagement events, we will be working with DIO towards submission of a planning application later this year.”

Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture at Harrogate borough council, said: “As part of our local plan consultation and examination, we know both high-quality and affordable homes are required in the Ripon area. So, it’s encouraging to see the start of this project, between the different stakeholders, start to take shape.

“This development will be about much more than just houses though. It’s about creating job opportunities, provide the necessary infrastructure, and most importantly, communities that can thrive in the future.”