Tidworth Garrison has taken delivery of the final single living accommodation bedroom unit, for soldiers relocating to Wiltshire this summer under the Army Basing Programme (ABP).

With around 4,000 Service personnel due to return from Germany and additional Unit moves taking place within the UK, over £1.1 billion is being invested to create new accommodation and additional facilities across Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) and at Aldershot, to support the needs of the modern Armed Forces. The final bedroom module for SPTA was installed at Tidworth on Thursday 21 March.

Since construction began in 2016, there has been major investment in modern, en suite single living accommodation (SLA), alongside new and improved technical, office, catering, retail and leisure facilities, to ensure that soldiers live, work and train in the best possible environments. Healthcare and education facilities are also being provided for military families in Bulford, Larkhill and Tidworth. The construction programme is being delivered by Aspire Defence Capital Works (ADCW).

The provision of SLA is a critical construction activity within the overall ABP programme for SPTA. Around 2,400 bed spaces have now been delivered by ADCW, contracting to Rollalong, the Dorset-based manufacturer of bespoke modular accommodation.

Mark Duddy, Army Basing Programme Director, said:

“It is fantastic to see this final module take its place in the last block of new single living accommodation at Tidworth Garrison. It is testament to the excellent working partnerships at all levels of this project that the required bed space provision has been delivered on time, ready for soldiers rebasing from Germany and within the UK in just a few months’ time.”

Off-site modular accommodation is efficient, cost-effective and involves high-spec methods of technical construction. The SLA manufacturing process for ABP has required a staggering 6.3 million nails, 37,000 sheets of steel and 192,000 sheets of plasterboard. On completion, each module has been transported fifty miles by lorry to Army garrisons in Wiltshire and Hampshire, where they are installed on site by Rollalong’s expert team working with ADCW.

Paul Dempster, Managing Director, ADCW, said:

“I am delighted that we have reached this significant milestone in the delivery of our construction for the Army Basing Programme. The excellent working relationships we have with Rollalong and all members of our supply chain, both on and off site, are benefitting the local economy and will ensure that we deliver the high-quality, purpose-built accommodation required to support military capability and make soldiers’ lives better.”

Steve Chivers, Managing Director of Rollalong, added:

“We are very proud to have played a key role in the ABP programme. Our success is recognition of the tremendous work that the entire team at Rollalong puts in to deliver the best service to our clients, to ensure the programme stays on track and to deliver the high standard of accommodation that soldiers need and deserve.”

The ABP was set up to deliver Army 2020 as part of the Government’s 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) commitments. The ABP construction programme is scheduled for completion by 2020, enabling all British Army units based in Germany to return to the UK by then, saving up to £240 million per year by 2022/23.

Photo (left to right): 

• Steve Carey, Project Manager (TidNBul), Aspire Defence Capital Works
• Allan Thomson, Chief Executive, Aspire Defence Limited
• Clive Wildman, ABP Programme Manager, Aspire Defence Limited
• Helen Knowles, Requirements Manager, Defence Infrastructure Organisation
• Lt Col J E D McInally, Deputy Garrison Commander, CO GSU and SO1 GMT
• Laurie Garside, Rollalong Project Manager
• Mark Preedy, Rollalong Site Manager
• Clive Harris, Rollalong Construction Manager
• Scott Sykes Rollalong Head of Construction