By Rhod McGregor, Project Director TidNBul, Aspire Defence Capital Works

WE’RE nearing the end of another successful year of delivery of new and improved soldiers’ accommodation for the Army Basing Programme (ABP).

Throughout 2018 we’ve maintained an excellent work rate across our four project sites in Wiltshire, to ensure that the required infrastructure is ready for the arrival of around 4,000 Service personnel in summer 2019. To date, the ABP has amounted to over four million work hours on site and has created jobs for around 1,500 individual contractors at Larkhill, Tidworth, Bulford and Perham Down.

One of the largest buildings in our 2018 construction programme was recently handed over at TidNBul Garrison: a Mess for senior non-commissioned officers (SNCOs).

The Army Mess is a unique military institution that supports many aspects of Service life. As well as ensuring that soldiers have access to healthy, nutritious meals, the Mess performs a vital function as a place to relax, socialise and strengthen bonds. The different traditions upheld in regimental messes are important for leadership, teamworking and camaraderie, so the Mess ethos is widely regarded as an essential component of the Army’s operational effectiveness.

The new Mess at Tidworth is equipped with a state-of-the-art kitchen, two dining rooms and social areas. It provides dining for 79 members, while the adjacent living accommodation offers single living en suite accommodation for 32 SNCOs.

With less than six months to go before British troops begin to withdraw from Germany and return to the UK, the new and improved infrastructure we’re delivering will ensure that all soldiers based on Salisbury Plain Training Area have modern, high-quality facilities in which to live, work and train.