Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has welcomed the Government’s Defence Housing Strategy today but warns that the plan must be followed by delivery and funding.
In June, Caroline presented the Chair of the Government’s Defence Housing Review with a survey of over 120 constituents who had given their views on military accommodation. Those views included complaints that too many houses were plagued by damp and mould and that repairs were slow, uncoordinated and poorly communicated.
The Defence Housing Strategy, released today, aims to modernise or upgrade 9 in 10 military homes.
Writing to Caroline, Natalie Elphicke Ross, Chair of the Defence Housing Review said:
“I was grateful for the opportunity to hear your thoughts and gain your feedback during our discussion and appreciated the data pack you kindly provided outlining your constituents’ views.
“The Strategy sets out an ambitious plan to renew Defence family homes over the next decade and release surplus Defence land to help build the homes our nation needs, boost the economy and support economic growth.”
Responding to the Strategy release, Caroline said:
"With over 60 SFA properties in Gosport condemned as unfit for human habitation, I hope the situation improves rapidly.
"However, it’s one thing to announce a policy, and another to deliver it. I have concerns that the Government is keeping the delivery of this Strategy at arms-length by tasking another quango to oversee improvements. Will there be accountability and will money be well spent?
"And as always, the money needs to be there in the first place. Improvements on this scale will cost billions. Does the MoD have a plan in place to fund the actions laid out in the Strategy, or is this just wishful thinking? If delivery relies on disposing of Defence assets, Ministers might find these upgrades more difficult to deliver than the headlines suggest."
