Plans lodged for £270 million army training base (From Daily Echo)
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Plans lodged for £270 million army training base
7:20am Thursday 22nd November 2012 in News
Plans lodged for £270 million army training base
PLANS for the £270m redevelopment of Worthy Down Army base into a training college for the 21st century have reached a major milestone.
The Ministry of Defence has lodged plans for a new Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force college with Winchester City Council.
The revamp will more than double the number of personnel to 2,000 and secure its future as a military base at a time of defence cuts.
The news has been welcomed by the local MP and a city councillor but hopes for extra community facilities, including allotments and a burial ground, have been dashed.
Under the plans up to 92 new homes for service families will be built on farmland next to existing married quarters off Connaught Road.
It is proposed to bulldoze most buildings inside the camp to make way for new barracks, mess buildings, classrooms, offices and welfare facilities. Some buildings will be up to four storeys tall, although largely hidden by surrounding woodland, say military chiefs.
Under the plans students will nearly triple from 479 to 1,350 while permanent staff will increase from 250 to 650.
Proposals include a cycle route both sides of Christmas Hill between Worthy Down and the roundabout at the A34 slip road.
City councillor Stephen Godfrey, who represents South Wonston, hailed plans for the 90-hectare site as “good news in many respects.”
The retired Army major said: “Worthy Down has been slowly getting quieter and quieter. The investment of £270m will allow the MoD to bring backsomething like 1,250 jobs with Worthy Down getting back to what it was 25 years ago. It will bring a lot of vibrancy to the area.”
He said there would be further opportunities to negotiate community benefits at the detailed planning stage.
Winchester and Chandler’s Ford MP Steve Brine warmly welcomed the “huge investment”.
Comments(10)
bodger122
says...
12:18pm Thu 22 Nov 12
As sad as it may be, even when some loose their jobs life must go on, and other people will still need training in facilities like this.
Instead of moaning, be greatful that the area is getting investment and much need job security for the personel employed there.
Shoong
says...
1:10pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
Linesman
says...
3:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Shoong wrote:Do they outnumber the jobs lost?
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
Linesman
says...
3:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Shoong wrote:Do they outnumber the jobs lost?
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
Linesman
says...
3:47pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Shoong wrote:Do they outnumber the jobs lost?
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
Linesman
says...
3:54pm Thu 22 Nov 12
bodger122 wrote:You are right in saying that they are not making ALL of the armed forces redundant, but they are making them redundant from All of the services.
thats a bit of a silly thing to say Linesman. The government are not making ALL of the armed forces redundent, in fact the army are currently recruiting.
As sad as it may be, even when some loose their jobs life must go on, and other people will still need training in facilities like this.
Instead of moaning, be greatful that the area is getting investment and much need job security for the personel employed there.
Making them redundant at a time when they are calling upon Reservists to take on a role that it is reasonable to expect Regulars to fill.
I am not moaning as you appear to infer, but stating a fact and with regard to being grateful that the area is getting investment, as it is taxpayers money that is being invested, I want it invested wisely.
Job security?
Redundancy is not job security.
Shoong
says...
9:24pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Linesman wrote:So you've come back with another question, great serve and dodge there.
Shoong wrote:Do they outnumber the jobs lost?
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
Linesman
says...
11:00pm Thu 22 Nov 12
Shoong wrote:OK. My comment on the job creation is that there are far fewer than there are jobs that are being lost.
Linesman wrote:So you've come back with another question, great serve and dodge there.
Shoong wrote:Do they outnumber the jobs lost?
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
In many cases, the jobs created are part time, while those lost are full time.
That is borne out by the government's own statistics and is certainly evident locally.
Linesman
says...
12:04pm Fri 23 Nov 12
Linesman wrote:Perhaps you will tell me where more new jobs have been created than those that are being lost at Comet and Ford, never mind the redundancies that have been made in the armed forces.
Shoong wrote:OK. My comment on the job creation is that there are far fewer than there are jobs that are being lost.
Linesman wrote:So you've come back with another question, great serve and dodge there.
Shoong wrote:Do they outnumber the jobs lost?
Linesman wrote:Why don't you comment on the job creation stories?
Does the Left hand know what the Right hand is up to?
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.
In many cases, the jobs created are part time, while those lost are full time.
That is borne out by the government's own statistics and is certainly evident locally.
Linesman says...
8:56am Thu 22 Nov 12
£270m for redevelopment of a training base for the armed forces that the government is in the process of making redundant.