Defence buys hundreds of eco-friendly homes to 'modernise' military living

Service families are being provided with 423 new or nearly new living spaces, as part of a defence procurement scheme worth £173m.

Hundreds of energy-efficient homes have been bought or leased from UK developers to be rented out under the Capital Purchase Programme (CPP), which identifies locations with high demand for military housing.

In the last financial year, 310 homes have been purchased in areas including Aldershot, Brize Norton, Lossiemouth and Portsmouth.

• Shadow defence secretary commissions an expert review of military housing
• What are your rights when living in military housing?
• New year, new housing misery for military families living in mouldy homes

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) also bought 113 homes that it previously held on long-term leases and, in addition, has agreed to purchase a further 176 new homes at Gloucester's Imjin Barracks.

The goal is to occupy the 423 homes by the end of 2023, with families benefiting from lower household bills thanks to a minimum energy performance certificate (EPC) rating of 'B' – while the incoming Imjin Barracks homes are designed to be net-zero carbon.

Forces News spoke to Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge as he visited new builds close to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

"It has to be said, we have properties at the other end of the spectrum that are much older, that we have issues with, that we need to focus on, but the important thing about coming here – my message to the men and women that are watching – is that we do have some amazing new properties coming through.

"We are committed to providing fantastic new homes for our Armed Forces personnel where possible."

Additionally, Mr Cartlidge said he immediately stressed the improvement of poorer forces housing "as a priority" to the DIO when starting his new procurement role in April.

"We want to work with the contractors who deliver those improvements for us, to ensure that the homes that really need it are seen first.

"But then there is a wider programme, buying and building brand new homes and improving the stock that we've got at the moment, right across the spectrum."

The CPP has given UK defence an opportunity to replace some of the MOD's oldest housing stock, reducing the use of substitute accommodation and shining a more positive light on defence accommodation.

Heavy criticism has followed the standard of living conditions available to families and single-living spaces in recent years, with viral videos of damp and mould and some families having to move out completely.

Joining Mr Cartlidge in Oxfordshire was Phil Riley, director of accommodation at DIO, who said: "The accommodation we've got around here is poor.

"We've got buildings built in the '60s we're putting families into, and we're really keen to modernise the estate.

"We're putting a programme in place, both in the new buildings and our existing estate, to replace our kitchens, our bathrooms, we've put 1,200 new roofs on last year, we've put over 1,200 new sets of windows and doors on."

To drive some properties towards EPC ratings of 'A'– electric charging points, triple glazing and solar panels are being installed "where possible".

Mr Riley is calling for those with issues like damp and mould to come forward, as it builds a case for a latest bid of £2.4bn from the Treasury over the next decade, to create an estate that's fit for purpose.