Tri-Service

EXCLUSIVE: Army Head On Service Housing Plans

The head of the Army has told Forces TV a shake-up of how military accommodation is provided is a work in progress.

Chief of the General Staff Sir Nick Carter says the final outcome remains unknown until decisions can be made based on all the facts and evidence.

He also says he'll do everything he can to get the best for his personnel and to ensure the operational effectiveness of the Army is protected. Sir Nick said:

"Decisions have got to be based upon facts, data and evidence, because absent all of that you will come to the wrong conclusions.

"No decisions have been made yet and I am absolutely determined that we get the right answer."

"We have to take account of the financial position...we don't yet know what the envelope is in terms of what everything is going to cost. And therefore you can't come to these judgements yet."

Forces TV's Charlotte Banks, meanwhile, spoke to a forces spouse about the potential changes.

Zoe Sharpe and her husband live with their three children on the 'patch' near the base where he works.

Like many families, she's worried that even with help, they won't be able to afford private rent.

Zoe is one of more than 8,000 families who responded to the Army Families Federation (AFF) survey on the plans for military housing, called the Future Accommodation Model (FAM).

Currently under development, the focus is on either helping them onto the housing ladder, or giving them an allowance so they can rent in the private sector.

The survey revealed that 70% of respondents said they would prefer to live in Service Family Accommodation (SFA) rather than rent or buy in the private sector.

76% said under the new accommodation model, they would leave or consider leaving the forces.

The MoD says its new model is much fairer, because it gives service personnel more freedom to choose not only where they live, but who they live with. Sir Nick said:

"I'm going to argue very strongly from the Army's perspective that we draw our operational effectiveness from the idea of people living together. The idea of service family accommodation that is relatively adjacent to where people are going to have their working lives is important."

AFF Chief Executive Sara Baade says it has drawn up recommendations for the MoD to follow as it develops its plans, meanwhile.