Imphal Barracks in York and Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Strensall to close

Imphal Barracks in Fulford Road - home to 2 Signal Regiment, HQ 1st (United Kingdom) Division, 12 Military Intelligence Company, 1 Military Intelligence Battalion, HQ 1 Investigation Company and Special Investigation Branch Regiment Royal Military Police - is to shut by 2031.

The barracks at Strensall, which is to shut by 2021, is home to HQ 2 Medical Brigade and 34 Field Hospital. These will “ideally” be moved to Gamecock Barracks in Nuneaton, subject to space becoming available.

York Outer Tory MP Julian Sturdy said he was ‘disappointed and saddened’ that York’s long and historic military connections would be lost with the closures.

However, he could understand and supported the Government’s desire to reduce its landholdings by 30 per cent if it ensured resources were focussed on personnel and equipment.

He said there would be concerns about the future uses for the sites, which could have an impact on York’s Local Plan and would need to be discussed.

York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell said the Imphal closure would have a massive impact on York and its economy, with ministers having told her 365 civilian jobs were at risk.

Ms Maskell MP claimed the MoD had given her predecessor, Sir Hugh Bayley, a guarantee less than two years ago that Imphal had a long term future which the Government was now backtracking on.

There had been a big investment in the site which would be wasted money if closure went ahead, and it would have a huge impact on the city and its economy.

She said there had been no local consutation and she had not been briefed in advance of the announcement, and she planned to make representations to the Defence Secretary.

Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Strensall

Towthorpe Lines, the army medical training centre at Strensall, will be similarly relocated at the same time.

Claro Barracks at Ripon, home to 21 Engineer Regiment, is to close by 2019 but its likely closure had already been announced, in January.

Dishforth Barracks, home to 6 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps, is due to close by 2031.

These are among 56 Ministry of Defence sites which are to close across Britain.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon, above right, told the Commons the estate was too big and costly to run, with the latest batch of closures paving the way for a more modern military.

"This strategy looks ahead to 2040 to provide a better defence estate," he said.

"An estate that supports a more efficient and effective military capability; an estate that gives our armed forces a world class base from which to work, and an estate that helps defence keep Britain safe and to promote our prosperity."

Sir Michael said: "As we implement these plans, we will seek to minimise any disruption to the armed forces, civilians and their families, and to give as much notice as possible over planned redeployments.

"By releasing sites we no longer need, we can help build the houses we do need.

"I can confirm that the MoD now has firm plans to achieve its target to release sufficient lands to build up to 55,000 houses in this Parliament."

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) claimed the cuts would have a devastating personal impact on people who would lose their livelihoods, adding: "There appears to be little rationale behind which sites are to close."

Sir Michael Fallon said that under his plans, the army would have "specialised infantry" at Aldershot, mechanised wheel capability in Catterick, air assault forces in Colchester, armoured vehicle units around Salisbury Plain, medical services in the West Midlands and hubs of light infantry battalions in London, Edinburgh, Lisburn, St Athan, Blackpool and Cottesmore.

In the RAF, combat units would remain in Coningsby, Marham and Lossiemouth, with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services remaining in Waddington.

Air transport will be based at Brize Norton, force protection will be based at Honington, and support enablers would be based at Wittering and Leeming in North Yorkshire.

Sir Michael said: "As we implement these plans, we will seek to minimise any disruption to the armed forces, civilians and their families, and to give as much notice as possible over planned redeployments.

"By releasing sites we no longer need, we can help build the houses we do need.

"I can confirm that the MoD now has firm plans to achieve its target to release sufficient lands to build up to 55,000 houses in this Parliament."

THE role of Imphal Barracks has been under Government threat once before - 18 years ago.

York's then MP Hugh Bayley led a campaign in 1998 to save the army's 2nd Division HQ at the barracks in Fulford Road, which was backed by the Evening Press.

The campaign won support from hundreds of Evening Press readers, from former privates and retired generals, and from MPs and mayors from across the north.

It went to the very top, when we delivered a petition signed by more than 700 readers to Number 10, Downing Street.

The battle was both lost - and won. 

The Government announced that a new combined army command for Scotland and the North of England would be based at Edinburgh, with Imphal losing more than 200 civilian and army jobs.

But it also, simultaneously, decided to move the Defence Vetting Agency, which conducted security vetting on all military personnel, to the barracks from the south, bringing a minimum of 177 jobs.

Mr Bayley said the efforts had paid off and brought results, with York ending up with more jobs than it lost.

But the then Vale of York Tory MP Ann McIntosh claimed the decision to close the army HQ was a "great snub" to Yorkshire.

STRENSALL Camp was created in 1884 for the training of troops and became a regional centre for infantry training as the Yorkshire Brigade Depot in 1960.

In 1974, the Provisional Irish Republican Army planted and exploded devices at the camp, though there was no loss of life.

The Press revealed in 200 how Strensall was to become a UK centre for the field hospital training of all military medics.

The Field Training Centre, originally used just for TA medics, was to be opened up for use by Royal Naval and RAF reserves as well, and regulars from the three armed services medical corps would also be able to go there for field hospital training.

The facilities were so good at Strensall that even the Canadians had made contact to see if their military medics could attend a training course there, said Major Phil Gunter, HQ Chief of Staff of the Army Medical Services TA already based at York. "This is a unique facility that does not exist anywhere else in the country," he said.

The barracks has since played a key role in the treating of wounded personnel in the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan in the past decade.