1,200 march out of Yorkshire as 56 military sites shut down

Both Imphal Barracks in York and Queen Elizabeth II Barracks in Strensall have been listed for disposal, as have facilities at Towthorpe and Catterick.

The announcement marks the latest stage in the efforts to “modernise” the MoD estate and save up to £140m in costs. But officials have offered assurances that no jobs will be lost as a result of the closures, and disruption to personnel and families will be “minimised”.

Presenting the plans to Parliament yesterday, Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon stated they were part of a strategy to deliver a “more efficient and effective military capability”. He states that “while the size and structure of our Armed Forces have changed to meet different threats, our estate has failed to adapt”.

“It is too inefficient... and it too often fails to meet the needs of our Armed Forces and their families,” he said.

“We will transform an estate built for previous generations of war-fighting into one that better supports military capability and the needs of our Armed Forces.”

Earlier this year the Ministry of Defence announced the closure of Claro and Deverell barracks in Ripon, and the nearby Dishforth Barracks, as part of its “Estate Optimisation programme”.

It also announced the sale of land at Harley Hill, which forms part of the Catterick Garrison. All in all, the department named 35 sites for closure, which was expected to raise £1bn and free land for 50,000 new homes.

However, the new Better Defence Estate strategy takes the total number of sites to 91 and is expected to save a further £140m in running costs.

Queen Elizabeth II Barracks, which currently homes the HQ 2nd Medical Brigade and 34th Field Hospital, is due to close in 2021.

The MoD has suggested that affected units could be relocated to Gamecock Barracks in Nuneaton.

Imphal Barracks, which houses the 2nd Signal Regiment and 12th Military Intelligence Company, will be closed in 2031.

It supports 728 military and 365 civilian staff, but a site for reprovision is yet to be confirmed.

Officials have stated that there will be “no immediate impact” on jobs at these sites and all military personnel will be relocated.

But responding to the announcement, Labour shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith, said the proposals are “very considerable in scale”.

She told Ministers the shake-up must not be allowed to impact “our Forces and their families”.

“The potential impact on communities with a long garrison history such as the City of York will be far-reaching,” she said. “Servicemen and women and their families will be required to move.”

Further closures include the Medical Training Facility at Towthorpe which will be sold in 2021.

The Commander And Staff training facility in Catterick will be closed in 2020.