Deepcut 'village' plans to be considered at special meeting

Proposals for the barracks site include housing, open space, access roads, and a primary school

Plans to build 1,200 homes on the site of Deepcut barracks in Surrey are to be considered at a special meeting of the local council.

As well as housing, proposals for the 282-acre site include open space, access roads, a school and shops.

The site is being vacated by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) from 2016.

Surrey Heath Borough Council said the meeting, at Camberley Theatre, Knoll Road, on 17 July would be open to all residents.

The council said the departure of the MoD provided an "opportunity to create a new rural village community" on the Princess Royal Barracks site.

Deaths of soldiers

An outline planning application for the site was submitted in December.

Details of the location of homes and other buildings, landscaping and designs will be the subject of future planning applications.

The site is being released by the MoD following a national review of training prompted by the deaths of four soldiers in unclear circumstances at the Surrey army base.

Privates Sean Benton, Cheryl James, Geoff Gray and James Collinson all died from bullet wounds between 1995 and 2002.

A coroner recorded a verdict of suicide for Pte Benton, but the inquests into the other three returned open verdicts.