The Government’s Defence Housing Strategy will be unveiled after Parliament’s summer recess (Image: MoD)
The UK’s military housing is set for a major upgrade in a bid to make it more environmentally friendly and cheaper to live in.
Labour is expected to focus on building new self-sufficient homes for the military under plans to revamp “unacceptable” service accommodation. The homes would significantly reduce energy prices for troops and their families, a minister has told the Express.
Further details are expected to be laid out in the Government’s Defence Housing Strategy which Minister for Veterans and People Al Carns confirmed will be published after Parliament’s summer recess.
The state of military housing, which has had issues including mould and damp, leaky roofs and broken boilers in recent years, has significantly contributed to the retention crisis that has engulfed the forces. Mr Carns said: “This is a medium to long-term plan but it’s a once in a generation plan.
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Al Carns said improving the state of military housing is a priority (Image: Getty)
“Looking at the houses we are looking at building, we’re talking about really low energy costs, self-sufficient, well-insulated, so the costs for service personnel go right down which is really good.”
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been working towards eco-friendly homes for troops in recent years, including net-zero carbon properties in Gloucestershire.
Mr Carns said plans to rebuild the defence housing estate are “significant” and could take a “long time”.
Defence Secretary John Healey has vowed to “stop the rot” of service accommodation (Image: Getty)
“Different patches will be done quicker than others, depending on the operational sort of location and the need.
“There’ll be a prioritisation mechanism in place but we shouldn’t expect this to happen quickly.
“I’ve been really honest with Armed Forces personnel.”
Defence Secretary John Healey has vowed to “stop the rot” of service accommodation which is heavily subsidised and a key part of the military’s ‘offer’ to recruits.
The Government announced an extra £1.5 billion to improve forces family homes as part of the long-awaited Strategic Defence Review earlier this month.
It means more than £7 billion is set to be spent on service family accommodation and new build single living accommodation over this Parliament.
Mr Carns, who was a full-time Royal Marines Colonel before quitting to stand for election last year, said having up-to-scratch housing is “number one priority if we want to retain our best people”.
Labour MP Tan Dhesi, chair of the Defence Select Committee, said service accommodation has “been allowed to deteriorate to an unacceptable state” and improvement is “absolutely essential” to retain talent.
“Recent surveys show that almost one-third of those intending to leave cite accommodation provision as a contributing factor,” he said. “This demonstrates the extent of the problem.”
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge is calling for an Armed Forces Housing Association (Image: Getty)
In January, some 36,000 military homes were brought back into public ownership after being privatised in 1996.
The £6 billion deal, which started under the Tories, ends the £230 million annual rental cost of the properties.
Mr Carns said the majority of the homes need “significant improvement” or rebuilding.
The Conservatives unveiled their own Defence Housing Strategy this week.Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “As a Defence Minister, I was proud to have played such a key role in delivering the deal to buy back the defence estate.
“This provides an unprecedented opportunity for us to deliver homes for heroes, because poor quality forces’ housing can now be comprehensively rebuilt instead of — at best — relying on sticking plaster solutions.
“That’s why I’m calling for the creation of an Armed Forces Housing Association, to give military accommodation the priority it deserves, protect its funding and extend home ownership throughout the ranks.
“The forces are 1,000 smaller since Labour came to power and this policy would enable us to address one of the key causes of personnel quitting military life.”
The Government has launched a Consumer Charter for the military which includes higher move-in standards, more reliable repairs, a simpler complaints system and the urgent renovation of the 1,000 homes most in need of repairs.
The charter forms part of the Defence Housing Strategy which Mr Carns said would likely include a new way of allocating homes.
It comes after the Conservative government last year U-turned on plans to alter the allocation of homes following a backlash, with fears officers in particular would leave the military over the proposed changes.
It would have seen housing based on need not rank, with many officers losing their right to having larger homes and potentially living next door to the other ranks in a break from usual military tradition.
Mr Carns told the Express: “The housing strategy will outline the new offer when it comes to the allocation of housing and we’re wrapping everything in together.
“I’m pretty sure that we will have a new model and process for allocating houses.”