Defence Estate study
Posted on 18/05/2011
Professor John Gearson
The Centre for Defence Studies, King's College London today published an independent report into the operation and management of the UK's Defence Estate.
'The Hero Review: Harnessing Efficiencies, Rethinking Outcomes - The Future of the Defence Estate' considers the enormous property and landholdings of the Ministry of Defence (one of the largest landowners in the UK) and is a timely and important inquiry into delivery of an estate fit for purpose and supportive of the objectives of the military covenant - the understanding between service personnel and their families and wider society of a duty of care owed to those who serve.
Commissioned by the construction and regeneration group, Morgan Sindall plc, the Hero Review has spent 6 months considering the wider implications of reform within defence estates and represents an innovative partnership between academia and industry in policy research. The study identifies new approaches to the financing, use and disposal of the Ministry of Defence’s significant assets, and the future of housing for service personnel.
Dr John Gearson, Director of the Centre for Defence Studies said: “The HERO Review is intended to be an important step forward in developing fresh approaches to how the defence estate is managed in an increasingly challenging economic climate."
“The effective operation and management of the huge assets held within the defence estate directly impacts on the retention, well-being and future prospects of many service personnel. As the management of the defence estate becomes more commercially aware and flexible there will be associated positive benefits for those in our armed forces now and in the future.”
Read the HERO Review at: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/content/1/c6/06/19/24/MS3370HEROKCLFINAL.pdf
About the Centre for Defence Studies, Department of War Studies, King’s College, London
The Centre for Defence Studies (CDS) at the Department of War Studies, King’s College London, engages in research, training and consultancy at the highest level on British, European and international defence and security issues. The commitment of the Department of War Studies is to undertake world-leading research and teaching, to disseminate knowledge and to contribute to public life, participating in national and international networks, whilst maintaining an international reputation for excellence in scholarship and policy-relevant research. CDS was established at King’s College London in 1990, with a grant from the UK Ministry of Defence but is now fully independent. CDS operates in three distinct, but overlapping research areas: Academic, Public Policy and Corporate Consultancy. CDS offers external contracted research services and its researchers have been involved in successful consultancy with government and private industry of over 20 years.
CDS also has access to the extensive resources of the War Studies Group of which it is a part, which provides over 100 researchers in all aspects of defence and security studies, military history, operational expertise, and in all the dimensions of what is now known as ‘human security.’ CDS has highly developed linkages to governmental and non-governmental institutions, policy networks and the major professional associations, at home and abroad. The Director of CDS is Dr John Gearson.
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/ws/research/groups/cds/
About Morgan Sindall Group
Morgan Sindall Group plc is a leading UK construction and regeneration group operating through five divisions of construction and infrastructure, affordable housing, fit out, urban regeneration and investments. In the defence field Morgan Sindall delivers a wide range of facilities to the defence sector. Our projects include capital works, repair, maintenance and refurbishment. Our goal is to set new standards in the design and construction of environments for service personnel. We understand the demands of working in high security and live environments. At Faslane naval base in Glasgow, we have built the largest single accommodation facility in Britain.
We have also designed and built a 44,000 tonne floating jetty for the new Astute-class nuclear powered submarine. Our recent defence projects include the delivery of a new £20 million fighter jet training facility at RAF Valley in Anglesey, construction of a three-storey office complex for the Ministry of Defence in Bristol, work on the relocation of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from St John’s Wood to Woolwich and ongoing capital works, repair, maintenance and refurbishments for the Defence Estates under Regional Prime frameworks.
For further information about the Hero Review study please contact Ms Jayne Peake in the Department of War Studies (jayne.peake@kcl.ac.uk).
For Morgan Sindall’s response to the Hero Review report please see: http://corporate.morgansindall.com/news-centre/detail/independent_review_calls_for_new_approaches_to_defence_estate/