Barracks' personnel could double under defence plans

The number of military personnel at a Gloucestershire barracks could more than double under new proposals.

The Secretary of State for Defence has applied to Tewkesbury Borough Council to refurbish and extend the buildings at Imjin Barracks, in Innsworth, near Gloucester, and build new ones on the site.

The site has been in military use since World War Two, with the plans including seven new accommodation blocks, new offices and three new stores.

The 14 and 21 Signal Regiments, from Pembrokeshire and Wiltshire and which specialise in electronic warfare, will relocate to the barracks, increasing numbers at the site from 937 to 1,925. The plans are out for consultation until 25 September.

The plans would also see the medical block, sports hall and a mess building extended, and a new garage/workshop.

The barracks, which has housed the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, a NATO deployable force, since 2010, are just three miles from the government's intelligence and security centre - GCHQ.

A planning statement submitted with the application said the plans are part of the Ministry of Defence's Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio and in line with its National Security Strategy and Better Defence Estate programmes.

Sixteen demolitions or partial demolitions are proposed to make way for the new developments.

The statement said the new buildings would use blonde buff brick to match existing structures, alongside some metal cladding. The accommodation blocks would mainly feature brick with cladding details, while stores and garages would be largely clad.

It concluded: "In general, the proposed development will provide the facilities required for the continued and effective military use of Imjin Barracks.

"The proposed development will provide a boost to the local economy through the relocation of personnel onto the barracks and their subsequent local spend and will ensure the longevity of the site for the future."

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