Army Basing Programme update
As part of the Army's Basing Programme, an additional 4,300 military personnel and their families will be moving to Wiltshire by 2019.
In February the Ministry of Defence's estate management organisation - the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) - held a six-week consultation on a draft Salisbury Plain Masterplan, setting out proposed developments to accommodate the extra personnel.
More than 300 comments were received and the DIO has reviewed them and refined its plans. It has narrowed down specific sites within Bulford, Larkhill, and Perham Down where it is proposing to develop additional Service Family Accommodation (SFA).
It has now completed its final draft Masterplan and is making this available for further public comment for a four-week period which ends on 17 June. The Masterplan will be accompanied by a Planning Context report, an Overall Environmental Assessment, Overall Transport Assessment, and a Statement of Community Involvement. This latter document records all comments from stakeholders, since November 2013 (when informal consultation started) until April 2014. It explains how these comments have been addressed in taking the MOD's plans forward.
The above documents will be available in Amesbury, Durrington, Ludgershall, Salisbury and Tidworth libraries. The Masterplan can also be downloaded from the DIO's website : http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/34026.aspx
The proposed developments, which will be subject to planning permission, involve construction of new accommodation for single soldiers, some 1,200 service family homes, as well as construction and conversion of other buildings such as garages, armouries, offices and mess facilities. The MOD will be spending £800M on the programme.
The Army is working with Wiltshire Council to ensure the right level of services and infrastructure is in place with a focus on housing, education, leisure and medical facilities, traffic and transport.
Any questions about the consultation or comments on the plans should be sent to abspta@wtyg.com