Royal Armoured Corps News

New barracks deliver the accommodation soldiers deserve

19th October 2007

A brand new barracks comprising of 28 buildings providing 452 single en-suite bedrooms for senior and junior ranked soldiers of 2 Royal Tank Regiment, recently returned from Germany, has been opened today.

The new buildings at Tidworth garrison in the heart of Army country in Wiltshire are some of the first delivered under Project 'Allenby Connaught' - one of defence's largest Public Finance Initiatives (PFI).

The new Aliwal Barracks were officially opened by Defence Secretary Des Browne and head of the Army, General Sir Richard Dannatt, who both also toured the accommodation.

Des Browne said:

"There has been a legacy of under-funding in Armed Forces housing: this new accommodation exemplifies the way that is changing. This is the standard of accommodation that our forces deserve. But it is more than just accommodation.

The work done in Tidworth represents our recognition that our forces expect and need a major change in the way we provide for them. This Garrison shows we want to offer a better way of life for the 18,000 soldiers who live in garrisons affected by this project and their families. The facilities available, both across the Garrison and in every room and suite make this quite clear."

As well as providing 452 single en-suite bedrooms for senior and junior ranks, the barracks also include a regimental headquarters, two mess facilities, a large joint diner, a leisure facility, workshops, training buildings and storage. New boot washes, bin stores, garages, landscape gardens and a football pitch are also supplied. Sustainable features such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting systems, and an urban drainage system have also been included, as have special measures to encourage local wildlife.

Mr Browne continued:

"It is a real privilege to be able to visit Tidworth today, to speak to the soldiers living in the new barracks and to hear their thoughts. To see soldiers now living in the buildings is a real testament to all involved in this important work. It is also a testament to the forces themselves and the work they do."I am very impressed by the scale of what has been achieved under Project Allenby Connaught so far, delivered both on budget and on time, just 16 months after contract signature."

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Richard Dannatt said:

"I have been very encouraged by what I've seen today here at Tidworth with the Project Allenby Connaught development. This major programme is a significant step along the way to addressing the shortcomings in Army accommodation and I would like to pay tribute to all those involved in bringing it about.

"The soldiers that will occupy these new barracks will now have excellent single-living and working accommodation - which is exactly what they deserve. It also sets the standard for the continued delivery of similar projects in the future and as the Chief of the General Staff, I am determined to see that the overall standard of our soldiers' and families' accommodation is improved and as quickly as possible."

The PFI contract with Aspire Defence Limited is an ambitious programme of redevelopment that will last 35 years and is worth some £8 billion. Aspire will deliver and maintain 11,500 single en-suite bedrooms together with dining centres and new facilities such as theatres and community centres, supporting the changing needs of the Army for more than 18,500 military personnel in garrisons across Salisbury Plain and Aldershot.

Chairman of Aspire Defence Arthur Moore said:

"This opening shows what the private sector can achieve in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and the Army; on time, on budget and with a long term commitment to high standards of quality. I want to thank the leaders and teams in the Carillion/KBR services and construction joint ventures that have worked so hard to make today possible. For them it is the first milestone on a 35 year journey."

Project Allenby/Connaught has its origins in the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, which identified a requirement for more Army units to be accommodated in the Salisbury Plain and Aldershot Garrison areas, as well as delivering on the commitment to improve the living and working environment of Army personnel.

The Project Allenby/Connaught footprint covers the garrisons of Tidworth, Bulford, Perham Down, Larkhill and Warminster on Salisbury Plain and Aldershot Garrison.

The most significant changes to be delivered are to single living accommodation. Single soldiers who used to share rooms and washing facilities in Victorian buildings, now have their own bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms in either 36 man blocks or eight man houses. Each ‘flat' or house has a communal lounge, a kitchen and a laundry room, with separate individual storage spaces for each soldier.

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