Pass Friend and share the beauty

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Published: 31 March 2006

Pass Friend and share the beauty

The MoD is increasing public access to its 240,000 hectares of Estate, Defence Secretary John Reid has announced.

An updated website, detailing the most attractive walks the MoD has to offer across the UK, has been launched as part of the new Defence Estate Strategy.

Mr Reid said:

"Looking after our Armed Forces involves providing a challenging and sustainable foundation for training, which means that we must cultivate and preserve our Estate.

We recognise that putting it at the heart of estate planning and processes is essential for the capability of our Armed Forces' future.

Yet I am pleased that the public will also be able to enjoy a greater share of our estate and its heritage.

The launch of the MoD's public access website will grow over time to include information on cycling, horse riding and rock climbing on MoD land."

With 1,300km of public rights of way and 200km of routes, there are 14 walks in countryside rich in heritage, archaeological interests, captivating views and a diversity of flora and fauna.

The Defence Estate Strategy aims to further improve:

· the quality of the estate for the military user to enhance fighting power, recruitment & retention and enable them to train realistically with minimal constraint

· the living environment for Service families, creating a place where they want to live and work, integrated with the wider community

· opportunities for the public to enjoy the Defence Estate whilst the nation's heritage is protected and the natural environment is enhanced

· collaborative work with industry to deliver innovation and best practise by improving construction design, sustainable development and environmental management.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is one of the largest landowners in the UK with a diverse estate of some 240,000 hectares (1% of the UK land mass) and is valued at some £15.3 billion.

Typically, approximately £1.5bn per year is spent on maintenance & new construction and some of these costs are offset against their income from tenants and other land users.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence, Don Touhig, said:

"The new Estate Strategy recognises the importance of defending the nation's heritage whilst protecting and enhancing the natural environment.

The MoD owns a significant amount of all UK Government-owned land, and it is well maintained and sustained to ensure that we can continue to provide for the Armed Forces for many years to come.

Safety and operational constraints apart, our rural estate is accessible for us all to share. The new website will encourage more people to enjoy this national asset."

Chief Executive of Defence Estates, Vice Admiral Peter Dunt, also launched the Stewardship report and has said:

"Our Stewardship Report on the Defence estate helps demonstrate the progress we have been making over the last few years.

It also sets out what a challenge it is to manage an estate blessed with such varied terrain and landscapes, buildings and facilities and - quite rightly - high user expectations.

We are leading the way in the public sector on the procurement front by creating Supplier Associations and sharing with industry ways of doing things better.

The condition of the estate is fundamental to our success, and sound partnerships with industry and our other stakeholders are key to its improvement".

The estate is made up of:

· Built Estate which occupies around 80,000 hectares and is made up of naval bases, barracks/camps, airfields, research and development installations, storage and supply depots, communications facilities, around 49,000 Service Families Accommodation and town centre careers offices.

· The Rural Estate occupies around 160,000 hectares which includes 21 major armed forces training areas 39 minor training areas, small arms ranges, test and evaluation ranges and aerial bombing ranges. * Significant overseas estate in Germany, Cyprus, the Falkland Islands and Gibraltar with major overseas training facilities in Canada, Norway, Poland and Kenya.

· There are 179 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) across the rural estate which we manage, the largest number in Government ownership. The Department is making good progress against the Public Service Agreement target for condition.

· There are currently around 650 listed buildings and 1,057 scheduled monuments across both the built and rural estate.

· The defence estate includes the largest proportion of statutorily protected buildings held by government, 43% of all government heritage properties.

The size, diversity and nature of the estate are dictated entirely by the Services requirements to fulfil the Defence Mission.

The UK estate also includes facilities for US forces based in the UK.

The MoD has the following vision for the estate:

"To have an estate of the right size and quality to support the delivery of defence capability, that is managed and developed effectively and efficiently in line with acknowledged best practice, and is sensitive to social and environmental considerations."

The way in which the estate is managed has changed radically in recent years and is subject to on-going evolution. Major projects include:

· Housing Prime Contract - Property Maintenance Service for Service families' accommodation

· Project SLAM (Single Living Accommodation Modernisation) - upgrade programme for single living accommodation

· Project Aquatrine - Outsourcing of water and waste management services through a MoD Public Private Partnership/ private Finance Initiative.

· Project MoDEL (MoD Estate in London) - Consolidation of MOD facilities in Greater London.

· Defence Training Review (DTR) Rationalisation - Provision of modern and cost effective training facilities involving a reduced training estate.

Further information

Ministry of Defence Access and Recreation

Defence Estates website

Walks

Stewardship report 2005

Defence Estate Strategy 2006