Approval granted for 1,300 homes at army barracks
Homes England can progress with redevelopment of Ripon Barracks, in North Yorkshire, to create hundreds of new homes thanks to consent from Harrogate Borough Council.
As revealed in 2016, Ripon barracks – the collective name given to Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks – are being sold when they become surplus to military requirements.
Having already relocated the Joint Services Mountain Training Wing of the Army Adventurous Training Group from Deverell Barracks into their new purpose-built home in Halton, the Ministry of Defence has been working with Homes England and the Local Authority to see these sites released for future use.
Plans for the 86-hectare site include 1,300 new homes, 40 hectares of publicly accessible open space, a primary school, two hectares of employment, community and NHS facilities plus a package of on and off-site improvements.
This is the result of a group effort, as part of the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) programme supported by colleagues across the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).
DIO estates town planner, Stephen Harness, said: “We very much welcome the decision made by Harrogate Borough Council.
“Teams from DIO and Homes England have been liaising with the council and have undertaken considerable consultation in bringing forward these proposals.
“We look forward to continuing to develop these proposals which will deliver real benefits to the city of Ripon.”
As part of this process, and under current plans, 21 Engineer Regiment will move from Claro Barracks into a mixture of refurbished and modern purpose-built buildings at Marne Barracks, Catterick.
