Closure of two key Plymouth military sites pushed back
The closure of two of Plymouth's key military bases will be delayed, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has revealed.
The Royal Citadel, home of 29 Commando Royal Artillery, was due to close in 2024 but will not do so until 2035.
Stonehouse Barracks, seen as the spiritual home of the Royal Marines (RM), was originally earmarked for closure in 2027, but that has now been delayed until at least 2029.
RM Stonehouse is the first-ever purpose-built barracks for the Marines, while the Royal Citadel is 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery's permanent base.
Critics accused the Government of underinvesting in RM Stonehouse, resulting in the base being run down and in a poor state.
The Government had committed to disposing of the bases, but Defence Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin told Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP Luke Pollard, who has campaigned to save the bases, that the extra time will be used to look for a new site.
Mr Pollard said: "I want to see the Royal Marines and 29 Commando stay in Plymouth.
"To do that the Government needs to invest in both the Citadel and the Stonehouse Barracks.
"They keep postponing the closure dates, but the truth is they need to modernise these bases and invest in the buildings and facilities there."
He went on: "Ministers simply cannot expect our service personnel to live and work in deteriorating conditions over such a long period of time.
"I hope that with these extra delays, the MOD will rightly conclude, as most of Plymouth has, that these bases are the right place for 29 Commando and the Royal Marines.
"We now need to see money spent on modernisation so the very best in our military have the very best accommodation and facilities too," he added.
Forces News has approached the MOD for a statement on the news.
Closure delays have also extended to other military premises. RAF Scampton, the famous home of the Red Arrows in Lincolnshire, was due to close this year but will now shut its gates in 2023.
The closing of RAF Henlow in Bedfordshire will be pushed back from 2023 to 2026, while RAF Halton in Buckinghamshire, set out for closure in 2025, will instead close in 2027.
Kinnegar Logistic Base in County Down will not close until 2024, having been pushed back from this year.
An MOD spokesperson said: "We are making a ÂŁ4.3bn investment in modern, greener and more sustainable facilities, an investment we want to ensure we get right for defence and our service personnel.
"As part of the work on this programme on the defence estate we have delayed the disposal of Stonehouse Barracks to 2029, while work continues on the future locations for units currently based there. The disposal of the Royal Citadel is being delayed to 2035.
"The MOD is very aware of the historic links of these barracks to the Royal Marines."
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
