Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio

About DEO

Defence Estate Optimisation is the single biggest estates change programme within Defence, bringing together an ambitious portfolio of interdependent programmes, construction activity, unit and personnel moves, and land release.

It will invest £5.1bn in a better-structured, modern and more sustainable estate that improves security, resilience, and military capability.

The portfolio was first mobilised in late 2016 to implement the MOD’s Footprint Strategy (FS) to contribute to the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review’s (SDSR) commitment to invest in key defence sites and reduce the department’s built estate.

Major investment projects

DEO will deliver the infrastructure needed to support defence people and core military capabilities. It will enable centres of military expertise by co-locating units to improve the effectiveness of their training, and longer-term basing plans, while also providing new and refurbished accommodation and facilities for service personnel and their families.

Major projects include the infrastructure for the Army’s new structure under Future Soldier, RAF Officer and recruit training, as well as the new home for the Red Arrows.

DEO will also invest in over 16,000 new and refurbished service family homes and single living accommodation units, contemporary office space for over 14,900 people, 101 specialist military facilities including workshops, garages, medical, dental and sports amenities and education and training facilities for over 50,000 people.

Construction has now completed at five Defence sites and new facilities are under construction at six more, with contracts placed for further development at sites across the UK.

DEO and Future Soldier

Future Soldier is a reform of the British Army which aims to create a more lethal, agile and expeditionary force, able to fight and win wars and to operate in the grey zone between peace and war.

There are 35 projects within the DEO Army programme making it the largest proportion of the overall portfolio. This level of work aligns with future soldier as we deliver the infrastructure that is needed to enable the modern warfighting capability and ensure the British Army is ready for the future.

Site disposals

As part of the optimisation process, defence will dispose of sites that are no longer suitable for military requirements. This is a natural by-product of the enhancement of the defence estate as we provide the infrastructure needed by a modern expeditionary force.

Disposing of these sites create opportunities for alternative use, resulting in regeneration, business growth and job creation within the local area. To date, DEO has disposed of 771 hectares of surplus miliary land for both commercial and residential development. This has since been repurposed in a number of ways including a boutique hotel, a school and a film studio, as well as green open space, commercial use and plans for over 6,500 new homes.

Full details of the sites identified for disposal can be found in the related documents.

Related documents

• DEO Disposal Timeline 2022 (accessible version) (ODT, 7.8 KB)
• DEO Disposal Timeline 2022 (PDF, 145 KB, 1 page)
• DEO Investment map (PDF, 720 KB, 1 page)
• SRO vision (PDF, 53 KB, 1 page)
• A Better Defence Estate
• Defence Disposal Database

Related news

• Defence Secretary announced five-year plan for key military sites
• Construction begins on DIO’s new Whittington headquarters
• Royal Army Chaplains’ Museum cuts ground in Shrivenham.