Barracks site to be used for housing

AN historic military base is set to be turned into a housing estate.
Chichester Barracks, the former home of the Royal Military Police – known as the Red Caps – is to be turned into 800 new homes after being sold by the Ministry of Defence.

The Roussillon Barracks, which was built in the early 1800s by French prisoners captured in the Napoleonic Wars, has been bought by national regeneration agency English Partnerships.

The barracks was the home of the Royal Sussex Regiment until 1964 when it became the headquarters for the RMP.

But in 2005 the Red Caps moved to the Defence Police College at Southwick, north of Portsmouth, leaving 17 acres of unused land.

Twelve acres of the site have been earmarked for development.

Community leaders welcomed the redevelopment as new affordable homes are needed in the Chichester area, which has average house prices of £320,000.

But they called for the historic features of the barracks, including the prominent Keep tower, to remain intact.

Councillor John Cherry, deputy leader of Chichester District Council, said: 'It's sad that it has come to this, where military sites are being sold off for housing.

'It's a massive site that has been there a long time and I know people would like to keep the historical features.'

But he said: 'We have a problem in Chichester in that we have very high house prices and a lot of young people are leaving because they can't afford a house.

'Anything that helps tackle this problem can only be a good thing.'

The barracks site will be redeveloped alongside the former Graylingwell hospital site, where 88 acres of land is also being redeveloped by English Partnerships.