Temporary bedrooms planned in Hullavington Barracks upgrade

Temporary bedrooms will be used at Hullavington Barracks during refurbishment work if the plans are successful

Plans have been submitted for temporary accommodation at an army barracks while refurbishment work is carried out.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) wants to create 75 bedrooms at Hullavington Barracks in Lower Stanton St Quintin.

The temporary buildings would be used during a planned five-year upgrade of the Wiltshire barracks.

Each bedroom will be for a single soldier and include a bed, wardrobe, toilet, sink and television.

The proposed site is towards the south-east of the military base, on land currently used as tennis courts.

The application says shrubbery will screen the development from public highways.

The refurbishment comes two years after the National Audit Office (NAO) criticised the standard of armed forces accommodation, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

The NAO said the accommodation was failing to meet basic needs, with common problems being the lack of heating and hot water, limited storage space, poor or expensive wi-fi, and a lack of cooking facilities.

Hullavington Barracks, located about five miles from Chippenham, was once run by the RAF rather than the army and in the 1930s and 40s was designed to accommodate a major Flying Training School.

"The provision of modular sleeping units is an enabling component to an overall barracks refurbishment project on the site," the MoD said in the plans.

Wiltshire Council has launched a consultation period and is expected to make a decision on the plans by March.