HMS Sultan: Under-threat Gosport Royal Navy site saved, says MP

The base in Gosport is the main engineering training site for the Royal Navy

A Royal Navy training site in Hampshire earmarked for disposal will now be kept, an MP has said.

HMS Sultan in Gosport was among numerous Ministry of Defence (MoD) sites placed under a phased withdrawal and disposal in a 2016 review.

MP for Gosport, Dame Caroline Dinenage, said following an update from the Minister of State for Defence Procurement its future "is secure".

In 2019 it was announced the site would not close until 2029.

Conservative MP Dame Caroline said closing HMS Sultan would be a "huge mistake"

Conservative MP Dame Caroline, who has campaigned against its closure, said: "I'm delighted... closing HMS Sultan would be a huge mistake for the MoD, the Royal Navy and Gosport.

"This area has a proud history of serving our Armed Forces and excellent facilities such as these are vital to ensuring that our personnel are equipped with the skills they need to defend our country."

The shore training base is on a former airfield previously used by Royal Naval air squadrons

HMS Sultan is home to the Defence School of Marine Engineering and the Royal Naval Air Engineering and Survival School.

The site's main role is to train and supply the Royal Navy fleet with engineering officers and ratings.

The review of MoD land in 2016, called A Better Defence Estate, set out plans to dispose of 91 military sites across the UK.

The BBC is awaiting comment from the MoD.