DEFENCE ESTATES RELEASE DEVELOPMENT PLAN

30 Jun 08. The MoD has released the Defence Estate Development Plan, which draws together strategies for the continued rationalisation, development and improvement of the estate and military accommodation over the next two decades.

The plan consolidates objectives from all three Services such as planned site closures, requirements for training estates and sustainability targets, so all military personnel and stakeholders have an overview of the short and long-term plans for sites.

With the planned closure of smaller sites across the UK, the Estate will move towards sustainable Defence Communities, consisting of fewer, larger sites, similar to those that already exist such as Aldershot, Plymouth and Catterick. This will ensure that service personnel and their families will need to move less to avoid disruptions to family life.

Minister for the Armed Forces, Bob Ainsworth said, “This plan will help us deliver an estate that supports both the current and evolving military need in addition to providing value for money. Sustainability also remains a key tenet of Government policy and the plan reflects the MoD’s commitment to this important agenda.”

The Chief Executive of Defence Estates, Vice Admiral Tim Laurence said, “Accommodation is a key driver to security and satisfaction for both military personnel and their families and I am determined to ensure that we do all we can to get this right. The Defence Estate Development Plan plays a vital part in achieving this.

“The plan is a vital framework that gives us a head-mark to aim for as we take the estate forward to meet both current and future defence needs. It gives a clear indication of our intent to manage the estate in a structured and co-ordinated way. We aim to use the resources available to achieve the very best that we can for those who live and work within it.”

Gilmerton Land Services

On Company expected to benefit from this announcement is Gilmerton Land Services. Gilmerton Land Services builds its Green portfolio. Sir David Kinloch owner of Gilmerton Land Services (GLS) is currently working on metals removal at the BAE Bishopton site. The company recently received a Bronze Award for Technological Achievement from BAE Systems.

Established some twenty five years ago by Sir David Kinloch from his East Lothian estate, GLS specialises in the decommissioning and recovery of disused underground electrical services including transformers and switch gear. The company undertakes the assessment of PCB, mercury and asbestos content; draining and decommissioning of underground pipe systems and removal of underground water mains and POL systems and asbestos pipes. In addition Gilmerton runs a Consultancy for removal of all underground services.

Sir David hopes that, given the rising value of metal underground, that the MoD and the Government will extended their contracts with GLS to gain benefit from the metal price and the Green issues it addresses.

Sir David developed a unique capability in being able to survey the value of underground cables in particular and pay the Mod accordingly to remove these. In previous times underground cables and pipes had been left in the ground to rot without realising their financial potential. The U.K. has an ongoing disposal Programme for disused MoD sites, whilst the U.S. has the huge BRAC Programme involving U.S. and overseas bases.

In the USA, with the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process shutting down 25 major installations and radically realigning 24 others over the next six years. “There are a number of locations around the country that are going to see some fairly important growth coming out of this round of BRAC for a whole variety of reasons,” Philip W. Grone, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment said. “It’s important for those communities to put them in the position where they can help plan for the future, and they have them al