Army barracks set to be developed into 1,300 new homes

Land at the Claro and Deverell Barracks is set to be developed into new homes and commercial space.

An army site in North Yorkshire is set to be transformed to build over a thousand new homes, Homes England and the Ministry of Defence have announced.

Over the next few years, land at the Claro and Deverell Barracks in Ripon will be redeveloped to provide up to 1,300 new homes and commercial space.

The site is the first to be developed under a new partnership between Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which aims to develop surplus MoD land.

Housing Minister Kit Malthouse said: ‘We have an urgent mission to build more, better, faster so the next generation can realise the dream of having a home to call their own.

‘We’re pulling every lever to deliver homes where they’re needed across the country, including transforming the site of the old Ripon barracks into more than 1,000 new homes for the people of North Yorkshire.’

The announcement comes after Homes England and the MoD held discussions over the future of the site with Ripon City Council and Harrogate Borough Council.

Homes England will now engage with residents over the summer in a series of community events to give them the chance to look at and provide feedback on the plans.

Homes England is set to submit its final planning application for the development to the local council by the end of this year.

Trevor Watson, director of economy and culture at Harrogate Borough Council, said: ‘As part of our Local Plan consultation and examination, we know both high-quality and affordable homes are required in the Ripon area.

‘So, it’s encouraging to see the start of this project, between the different stakeholders, start to take shape.

‘This development will be about much more than just houses though. It’s about creating job opportunities, provide the necessary infrastructure, and most importantly, communities that can thrive in the future.

‘I look forward to Harrogate Borough Council working with Homes England and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation to explore how we can accelerate the delivery of much-needed homes in the Ripon area.’

The Ministry of Defence is one of the UK’s largest landowners as it oversees an estate spread across around 4,000 sites and covering almost 2% of the country’s landmass.

In April 2017, the MoD owned or held legal rights over 433,800 hectares of land, with training areas and ranges occupying the largest area at 362,600 hectares – 84% of the total.

Photo Credit – Homes England