MOD sells Bicester land for development of new homes
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has sold surplus land at MOD Bicester to Cherwell District Council for the creation of new homes.
DIO is the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) property and services provider. It has now exchanged contracts with the local authority on the 187 hectare site at Graven Hill. Over the coming years, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) will phase out its logistics activity on the site.
The sale allows the Council to deliver the UK’s first self-build community of up to 1,900 homes, as well as one million square metres of commercial space and the creation of up 2,000 jobs and apprenticeships.
More than half the site will be set aside for community woodland with public access, parks and open spaces.
DE&S plans to rationalise its logistics operations through the Logistics Commodities and Services Transformation Programme and this development will be phased accordingly.
DE&S expects to continue to run its warehousing operation on the site until 2019. However, limited areas of the site will be vacated to enable roads and infrastructure to be laid ahead of the first homes being built in 2015.
DIO Disposal Project Manager Robert Smith said:
“Working with Cherwell District Council, DIO has secured a sale that not only creates the opportunity for early regeneration and redevelopment of surplus MOD real estate, but also allows for a phased withdrawal by DE&S.
This project required significant input and sharing of expertise across Central and Local Government, both in terms of funding and scheme design. Both parties were pleased to see this work result in the signing of the contract for the sale on 18 March.”
Ends
Further information:
Press enquiries to Tony Moran, Communications Manager
0121 311 3879 or email tony.moran572@mod.uk
DIO website: www.gov.uk/dio
Twitter: @mod_dio
Read DIO’s blog: https://insidedio.blog.gov.uk/
Notes to Editors
1. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), which is part of the MOD, plays a vitalrole in supporting our Armed Forces by building, maintaining and servicing what the men and women who serve our country need to live, work, train and deploy on operations.
2. Our work includes supporting operational units by providing and improving single living and service family accommodation; training areas and historic military sites. DIO actively manages these to ensure the needs of Defence are met, value for money is achieved, and its heritage is protected, and to achieve its environmental goals.
3. The primary role of Logistic Commodities & Services (LCS), part of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), is to provide support to the military through procurement storage and distribution of items including food, clothing, fuel, general stores and medical supplies, together with other non-explosive stock.The LCS Transformation Programme will improve and rationalise logistics infrastructure, inventory management and stock control to deliver significant financial and operational benefits for the Armed Forces. An Assessment Phase is ongoing and the intention is that a decision will be made by March 2015.
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