WORK has begun on the Salisbury Plain as part of the Army plan to relocate 4,300 troops to the area. Although planning permission for 900 army homes has yet to be granted the demolition of buildings at Corunna Barracks, Ludgershall has begun.

Specialist contractors working for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), are pulling down 62 buildings, removing car parks and lifting and moving temporary accommodation units to other MOD sites for reuse.

The other places earmarked for development are in Bulford and Larkhill, both are green field.

DIO Project Manager, Andy Corcoran, said: “Preparing the site for development is a big task. Some of the hangars are about the same size as the Twickenham rugby pitch at more than 800m2. Other buildings being levelled include workshops, kit stores, catering facilities and vehicle servicing bays.

“The housing development planned for this site is one example of how we’re supporting Service personnel and their families through the provision of a fit-for-purpose estate, including accommodation.”

The demolition works are scheduled to complete by early next year. A planning application for the new homes proposed for the site has been submitted to Wiltshire Council with the strategic planning committee in Trowbridge expected to make a final decision in September.

The Army Basing Programme is providing the facilities the Army needs to live, work and train in the UK as it rebases across the UK, returns from Germany and restructures to its future Army 2020 formations.

Corunna Barracks has had an important past due to its strategic proximity to the Salisbury Plain Training Area. During World War Two, the site was used by the US Army to test and prepare vehicles for the invasion of Europe for the D-Day landings.

It was later home to 26 Engineer Regiment and more recently the barracks has been used as temporary accommodation for visiting military units, for storing Army medical supplies and as a storage facility able to hold hundreds of military vehicles, ranging from Land Rovers to large heavy armoured vehicles.