Garrison Commander demolishes old Service housing

TidNBul’s Garrison Commander took charge of an excavator at Ward Barracks, Bulford in March, to tear down old Service Families Accommodation (SFA) which is being demolished by Aspire Defence under the Army Basing Programme (ABP).

Filmed by journalists from Forces and local media, and under the expert guidance of contractor Hughes & Salvidge, Col Steve Lawton got behind the controls at the construction site and destroyed one of 36 houses no longer fit for purpose.

The demolition, which will make way for a green space and a car park for use by garrison personnel, is a key milestone in the four-year ABP construction programme being delivered by Aspire Defence on behalf of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Allan Thomson, Chief Executive of Aspire Defence Limited, said:

“Our construction and demolition works will vastly improve the MOD estate across Salisbury Plain.  By replacing out-dated buildings with usable space – and building new single living and working accommodation for soldiers – we are delivering the infrastructure required to support the Army’s operational success, both today and for the future.”

Under the Project Allenby/Connaught (PAC) contract with the DIO, Aspire Defence Capital Works (ADCW) will complete around 150 demolitions at garrisons across Salisbury Plain and at Aldershot.

Sustainability is at the heart of PAC and each demolition is managed carefully and responsibly.  This ensures that where improvements are being made to soldiers’ living and working environments, the wider environment is looked after too.

Mick Gilligan, Asbestos & Demolition Manager (ADCW), explained:   

“We recover material from site to be recycled, which minimises the impact of the construction works on the environment and reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill.  Bricks are crushed for use as sub-structure in footways and roads on the garrisons, while the timber and metal are sent off site to be reused.”

The MOD is planning to build 917 new Service family homes on MOD land across three sites (444 at Larkhill, 246 at Ludgershall and 227 at Bulford) and purchase a further 100 homes from a commercial development in Tidworth. ABP is building 322 homes on MOD land in Tidworth.

Mark Duddy, ABP Programme Director, said:

“I am really impressed with the speed of delivery and the amount of progress that has been made; we remain firmly on track to deliver the required infrastructure to enable units to return from Germany in 2019. This project is an excellent example of how we are updating the estate by removing unsuitable accommodation and providing first class living and working facilities for our Service personnel.”