West London will be the first UK site to see a major development with new homes prioritised for military personnel.
Hundreds of houses will be built and jobs created at MoD Feltham in Hounslow as part of the “Forces First” programme, Defence Secretary John Healey told the Labour Party Conference on Monday.
The 30-acre military installation, previously known as Feltham Barracks, was earmarked for closure in 2016.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD), Hounslow Council and the Greater London Authority have now agreed to adopt a “Forces First” approach for the hundreds of homes due to be built on the site when redevelopment begins this year.
It means a portion of the housing will be prioritised for military personnel and veterans.
Mr Healey said: “Armed Forces housing was left in a shameful state by the Conservatives, hammering morale and driving a recruitment and retention crisis in our Forces.
“In our first year in office, Labour began the hard work to stop the rot and start the renewal of Armed Forces housing. We will turbocharge building on Defence land to deliver new homes for both our service personnel and for civilian families across Britain.
“This has all been unlocked by our historic deal to buy back 36,000 military family homes, reversing a failed Tory privatisation and saving the taxpayer billions.
“Our new ‘Forces First’ approach to building on MoD land will prioritise forces families and veterans for homeownership opportunities and deliver high-quality service family accommodation.”
Armed Forces personnel and veterans will receive “first dibs” on new homes built on surplus MoD land across the UK as part of the £6billion programme.
It will also see high quality new Service Family Accommodation for serving personnel to rent, the Government said.
Shantanu Rajawat, leader of Hounslow Council, added: “This is fantastic news for Hounslow.
“The ‘Forces First’ partnership at MOD Feltham will not only deliver much-needed new homes, but will also honour our Armed Forces by giving families and veterans the priority they deserve.
“It means hundreds of high-quality homes and new jobs for our borough, alongside a lasting legacy of support for those who have served our country.
“Hounslow is proud to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking initiative, which brings real benefits for local people and strengthens our community for the future."
