MP Launches Petition To Save British Army Barracks

An MP has launched a petition to save a British Army barracks.

Conservative MP Helen Grant says that centuries of military tradition will be broken if the Ministry of Defence closes Invicta Park Barracks in Maidstone, Kent.

The home to 36 Engineer Regiment and the Queen's Gurkha Engineers is one of a number of sites marked for closure by the government as they are sold off.

The local MP said:

"From all of the soundings I have taken so far I know that many local people are concerned about the decision to close Invicta Park Barracks, breaking centuries of military tradition in Maidstone. There is also great affection for the town's vibrant Nepalese community and local people are wanting to show their support for them."

"I am also sending a survey to around 10,000 randomly selected addresses in the central Maidstone area to allow people to share their views about the proposed closure of Invicta Park Barracks."

The petition is available online and from Helen Grant's constituency office at the Maidstone East railway station forecourt.

The former commanding officer of the barracks said:

"I believe the decision to close Invicta Park Barracks is unsound. It will be a negative step for the army, for Maidstone and, no doubt, for the established Nepalese community."

The leader of the Maidstone Nepalese community, Dhan Chand added:

"We all feel that that this decision will have a devastating impact on our community. We have always been encouraged to take a long term view and create a permanent home here and we have worked so hard for many years to become an integral part of the Maidstone community."

The MoD has announced that 91 of its military sites would be disposed of by 2040, releasing land for 55,000 new homes.

They say the move will provide £140 million of savings in running costs over the next decade, rising to nearly £3 billion by 2040, which it says will be reinvested in defence.

Invicta Park would close by 2027 under the plans as the government attempts to "release value from surplus land" and "maximise property".

More - More Than 50 Bases To Go In MoD Estate Sell Off

Cover image courtesy: Helen Grant MP