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Homes England to deliver 1,300 homes after snapping up barracks site from the Ministry of Defence
Homes England has acquired Ripon Barracks from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to pave the way for 1,300 new homes on the site that was scheduled for closure.
Homes England has acquired Ripon Barracks from the Ministry of Defence to pave the way for 1,300 new homes on the site that was scheduled for closure #UKhousingThe government’s housing and regeneration agency has bought the land for an undisclosed sum from the MoD.
It’s the first deal to be announced since the government committed to spending an extra £1.5bn on improving the state of housing for the UK’s armed forces and building more homes.
The homes at the Ripon Barracks site will be surrounded by natural green spaces and complemented by a new primary school, community centre and retail area to create a new community.
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The development will be delivered in phases, with initial work beginning at the vacant Deverell Barracks site to provide the first 150 new homes.
The remaining areas – Claro Barracks, Laver Banks and the former engineering park – will be developed following the scheduled departure of the Royal Engineers to the nearby Marne Barracks in Catterick.
Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister and housing secretary, said: “Unlocking underused public land like Ripon Barracks is exactly the kind of practical action people want to see, and a crucial part of tackling the housing crisis we face.”
The sale of Ripon Barracks is part of the MoD’s Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio, which includes investing in key military infrastructure and releasing sites the department no longer needs.
John Healey, defence secretary, said: “We are delivering on our promise to create a new, trailblazer approach to the use of public land and unlock homeownership for working families in North Yorkshire and beyond.”
Homes England will act as the master developer for Ripon Barracks and will coordinate delivery of the essential infrastructure needed before construction can begin.
This includes the planning of site-wide drainage, supporting road networks and other key enabling works.
The scheme will honour the site’s military past by preserving and integrating notable historical features, such as the linear parade-ground layout and the original footpath network.
Eamonn Boylan, chief executive of Homes England, said: “This milestone achievement is the result of two government bodies uniting to drive forward this government’s mission of building 1.5 million homes this parliament.
“By combining the MoD’s land assets with Homes England’s planning and development expertise, we’ve unlocked a site with a historic past which we’re determined will shape the development’s future.”
These plans are the result of work between Homes England, the MoD, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the Army Basing and Infrastructure Directorate to unlock the publicly owned site for housing delivery.
Robert Smith, deputy head of major disposals for the DIO, said: “This is an important milestone in bringing forward Ripon Barracks for redevelopment, and is testament to the strong collaboration between all partners involved.
“Ripon Barracks has a rich history and this is an excellent example of how sites that are no longer needed by the military can be unlocked to bring real benefits to the local community.”
Earlier this year, Inside Housing took a deep dive into the government’s “disastrous” military housing deal to find out what went wrong and why the MoD agreed to buy back thousands of homes from the private equity-backed firm it sold them to in 1996.
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