Hounslow is to lose two of its military sites as part of cuts announced by the Ministry of Defence last week.
The current home of the 1st Battalion The Irish Guards in Hounslow and Operations at the Defence Geographic Centre in Feltham will both close within the next 10 years.
The Hounslow barracks will relocate to Aldershot in 2020, and in 2023 the Feltham operations will move to RAF Wyton in St Ives, Cambridgeshire.
Leader of Hounslow Council, councillor Steve Curran said: “It is with much regret we hear the news that these two military sites are to close as a result of further cuts to military services from central government; it’s really disappointing.
“They have been an integral part of our community for centuries and immersed in the history of our borough.
“We are extremely proud to host both these bases and the operational services that work out of them and it is a huge shame that within seven years, the sites will be closed and re-located in other areas."
The sites are among almost 100 earmarked for closure by the Ministry of Defence.
The cuts were highlighted alongside the announcement that £4 million will be invested into the Armed Forces, as money from the sale of the 91 sites is reinvested into defence.
"We have been spending billions maintaining a defence estate that doesn’t meet the needs of our Armed Forces." said defence secretary, Michael Fallon.
"This plan delivers an estate fit for our forces and their families.
"By putting money where it is needed, we will provide better facilities to train our Armed Forces and deliver more stability for military families."
The MOD claims by the end of the decade, it will save the taxpayer around £140 million.
Although disappointed at the loss of these valued sites, Cllr Curran said the council will work with the MOD to ensure that the sites are put to the best possible use
“We will work closely with the Ministry of Defence to see that we can make the best use of these sites when they are available, so we can look to meet the needs of key priorities we have in the borough such as housing," he said.
Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.
You can even set it to receive push notifications for all the breaking news in your area.
Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android now!
