Plans approved for notorious army barracks

Surrey Heath Council agreed on the proposal for Princess Royal Barracks – Deepcut Barracks – last week, which will deliver one third of the borough’s total housing requirement up until 2028.

The local authority said it will include an ‘element of affordable housing’ as well as a park, community and sports facilities, a supermarket and open spaces. It will also include plans for roads to minimise the increase of traffic to the area.

Residents groups in Deepcut were opposed to the plans – concerned about the increase of traffic to the area, pressure on amenities and impact on greenspace. 

Karen Whelan, chief executive of Surrey Heath Council, said: ‘It is understandable that residents will be concerned about the impact of large-scale housing development in an area that has always enjoyed village life alongside a military barracks for a number of years.’

But she added that it was ‘inevitable’ a significant number of homes would be built on the site once the barracks became ‘surplus to requirement’.

She said the council will continue to work with residents and community groups and will expect the developers to involve residents in the proposals for the site.

The Ministry of Defence is planning to leave the site from 2016 and the application was submitted by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which manages the MOD’s property and estate.

The decision was made by the full council and is subject to the completion of a legal agreement. The planning permission includes a number of planning conditions.

Deepcut Barracks became notorious when it emerged four recruits had killed themselves in separate incidents between 1995 and 2002. There were accusations that recruits at the Surrey barracks had been bullied.