Defence procurement minister James Cartlidge has confirmed in a letter to York Outer MP Julian Sturdy that the Queen Elizabeth Barracks at Strensall will no longer be sold off.
Instead, the barracks – and nearby Towthorpe Lines – are to be retained by the MoD as the base for the Army’s 2 Med Group.
The future of the barracks has been under threat for eight years.
It was back in 2016 that the MoD first announced that the barracks – home to 2 Medical Brigade and 34 Field Hospital – were due to shut by 2021.
At one point, there were plans to build 500 homes on the site once it was sold off.
But the closure was later put back to 2024 – and now the MoD has decided to hold onto the barracks after all.
In his letter to Mr Sturdy dated February 29 – a letter which has only just been made public – defence procurement minister Mr Cartlidge says: “I have today approved an update to the Defence Disposal Database that will confirm the military retention of Queen Elizabeth Barracks and Towthorpe Lines.”
Mr Cartlidge said that proposals for the barracks to be sold and 2 Med Group to be moved to Catterick had been under review since 2021, when closure of the barracks was pushed back.
His letter to Mr Sturdy adds: “You may therefore not be surprised that the sites will no longer be sold, but I wanted to confirm that all options have now been assessed and Strensall continues to be the preferred option for the army.
“The decision to remain at Strensall will naturally bring requirements to further invest in the sites.”
Mr Sturdy said: “Great news that Queen Elizabeth barracks is no longer earmarked for closure, with further investment expected as 2 Med Group will remain based in York.”
Strensall Barracks – initially known as Strensall Camp – was established on land at Strensall Common bought by the war department in 1872. Permanent buildings were put up in 1880.
The camp was an important mustering point for troops ahead of mobilisation for the First World War.
During the second World War, it was also the training ground for the local Haxby and Wigginton Home Guard.[
The barracks were renamed Queen Elizabeth Barracks in the 1950s, and went on to become the regional centre for infantry training as the Yorkshire Brigade Depot in 1960.
The barracks then became the depot of the King’s Division in 1968, following the unification of the Yorkshire Brigade with the Lancastrian and North Irish Brigades.
On June 11, 1974, the Provisional Irish Republican Army planted and exploded bombs at the camp, though there was no loss of life.
More recently, the barracks have been home to 2 Medical Brigade and 34 Field Hospital.
