The recently announced Defence Housing Strategy sets out a vision for the future renewal of the Service family estate, and is backed by a 10-year programme of investment to deliver its recommendations in full, with savings from the Annington Deal put back into fixing Defence family homes and delivering for the nation.

The number of affordable homes delivered on surplus land will depend upon a number of factors including macroeconomic conditions, the appetite of development partners and planning decisions.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The Government endorses the Review’s vision and accepts all 62 recommendations.

The SDR highlights the significant opportunity to exploit the Defence estate to generate income for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and to help meet the wider needs of Defence and the Government.

Given the scale and unique nature of the Defence estate, identifying and evaluating evolving land use requirements requires a fully considered approach.

Any land identified as part of this process will be announced in due course.

The Strategic Defence Review sets a path for the next decade and beyond to transform Defence and make the UK stronger both at home and abroad. The Government endorses the Review’s vision and accepts all 62 recommendations.

The implementation of the Review’s recommendations is underway. Implementation will be priority business for the Department and will be executed through a whole of UK Defence effort.

The Department will be making further announcements about land and estates in due course.

The Defence Housing Strategy, planned for publication later this year, will set out a roadmap to deliver a generational renewal of military accommodation, where the main objective is to raise the minimum standard of Armed Forces housing.

It will also turbocharge the development of surplus military land creating opportunities for Armed Forces home ownership and support the delivery of affordable homes for families across Britain as part of the Government’s Plan for Change.

The new taskforce to accelerate development on surplus Ministry of Defence (MOD) land, between the MOD, HM Treasury and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government was created and announced on 27 March 2025.

Ministry of Defence Officials continue to engage with Homes England and have set up a series of workshops to target the accelerated delivery of sites, with a particular focus on Chetwynd Barracks, Ripon and RAF Wyton.

Officials are also working jointly with Homes England at specific sites to design a phased development approach for delivering houses. Homes England will also be invited to support the promotion of sites through the Town Planning Process.

The proportion of affordable homes that may be built on surplus military land, is not a decision for the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

The number of affordable homes is allocated by the local planning authority and the MOD will consult with them to ensure any proposed development aligns with their core policy.

The table below shows the Local Planning Authorities the Ministry of Defence is currently engaging with on the future use of surplus military land on sites previously identified for disposal through both the Defence Estate Optimisation Programme and other initiatives.

A list of surplus military land in scope for development is currently not held.

As announced by the Defence Secretary, Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence is undertaking a review of development opportunities on military land as part of a cross-Government, taskforce-led initiative. The Defence Housing Strategy review is complementing this work and will report later this year.

Ministry of Defence (MOD) works closely with Local Authorities to secure alternative development for sites post military use, this includes securing allocations in Local Plans, public consultation as part of master planning, and where appropriate working with development partners. the MOD is also working in partnership with Homes England to accelerate the release of public land.

The Government has set out its ambitions to unlock thousands of new homes on surplus defence land, including via the creation of a new taskforce between MOD, HM Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

C. 1,240 hectares of Ministry of Defence (MOD) land has been allocated to development in local plans in England, with the MOD continuing to work with over 17 local authorities on the future use of surplus military land in local plans.

As part of the ‘Better Defence Estate Strategy’, the UK Strategic Command Station at RAF Wyton will gain an enhanced integrated operations hub, designed to directly support UK Armed Forces on operations globally. This initiative will also enable the release of our site at Feltham in Middlesex, resulting in regeneration and supporting the Government’s commitment to building 1.5 million homes. No recent assessments of the potential merits of the disposal of land at RAF Wyton have been undertaken.