Alistair Strathern MP welcomes priority for service families and veterans for homes built on military bases

PRESS RELEASE FROM ALISTAIR STRATHERN MPTUESDAY 7^th OCTOBER 2025FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hitchin MP Alistair Strathern has welcomed the Government’s new “Forces First” housing scheme, which will ensure Armed Forces personnel and veterans are given priority for homes built on surplus Ministry of Defence land.

The announcement, part of the Government’s Homes for Heroes plan, will see military families and former service members placed first in line for affordable homes on ex-defence sites. Up to 100,000 new homes are set to be delivered on this land across the country over the next decade.

By focusing development on brownfield land first, the policy will also help protect cherished green spaces while speeding up construction in areas of high need.

With two military bases in his constituency at Chicksands and Henlow, Strathern has been a campaigner for armed forces personnel and veterans since entering Parliament. Along with other Labour MPs, he successfully pushed for all military homes to be brought back into public ownership. He also convinced several leading insurance companies to drop premiums for personnel serving abroad.

Alistair Strathern MP said: “This is a fantastic step that rightly recognises the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces. 

“By giving those who’ve served our country priority access to good-quality homes, we’re helping them build secure futures once they leave active service. It also ensures former bases continue to give back to the communities that supported them.

“Our region has a proud military heritage, from Chicksands to Henlow, and this announcement builds on that legacy. It’s exactly the kind of common-sense approach that honours those who’ve served, delivers much-needed new homes, and strengthens our local communities.”

Notes for Editors

You can see more details about the ‘Forces First’ plan, here.