Army Basing Programme

As part of the government's Army Basing Programme (opens new window), an additional 4,000 service personnel and their families are currently moving to Wiltshire and making our county their home. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has invested in excess of £1 billion into the Wiltshire elements of the programme. It is a significant boost to the economy of Wiltshire providing hundreds of new jobs in addition to the extra Army posts. These moves are increasing the population of Wiltshire by approximately 7,000. This includes an additional 500 personnel at Lyneham due to the relocation of 5 Battalion Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) from Tidworth, Belford and Germany under later revisions to the programme.

Since 2013 we have worked with our partners to ensure the right level of facilities and services including education, transport, leisure and healthcare provision are in place in time for the relocation of service personnel and their families.

One of those key partners is the MOD Defence Infrastructure Organisation (opens new window) which is responsible for procuring, managing and maintaining the MOD estate, as well as providing related support services to the MOD.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation is providing Service Family Accommodation (SFA) of some 900 new dwellings at Bulford, Ludgershall and Larkhill in addition to purchasing 100 homes at Tidworth. The Section 106 agreement negotiated to grant planning permission for the totality of the SFA, granted in the Autumn of 2016, provides funding for 1,125 new school places and 90 early years places. This also provides contributions for other infrastructure necessitated by the programme.

There are also new buildings and extensions to existing facilities in its establishments at Perham Down, Larkhill, Bulford and Tidworth to provide additional training, living, mess and technical capacity.

In planning this work, Wiltshire Council and the MOD engaged with other public authorities such as the NHS and the emergency services to ensure plans are sustainable to deliver services to the military community without detriment to the civilian community.

Communities have been kept informed of progress via Area boards briefings and Army Basing news and events, which are issued to parish councils within the Amesbury, Pewsey, Tidworth and Warminster community areas.