MORE than two years on from the announcement that Army barracks in York are set to close, with hundreds of jobs potentially at risk, the Ministry of Defence say there is no news on their future.

The MOD announced in November 2016 that Imphal Barracks in Fulford would be closed by 2031, and Queen Elizabeth Barracks in Strensall would close by 2021, as part of the Government's Better Defence Estate plan, to reduce its landholdings by about 30 per cent.

In 2018, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence the Rt Hon Tobias Ellwood wrote to deputy leader of City of York Council, Cllr Andrew Waller, and told him he was "not in a position at this time to be able to provide assurances to staff", at Imphal, and said the Fulford Road barracks - which is 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 - was "currently suboptimal for a modern professional organisation".

The redevelopment of Strensall barracks - home to HQ 2 Medical Brigade and 34 Field Hospital - was a key point of a draft of York's Local Plan last year, with the suggestion that 500 homes could be built on the site,

An MOD spokesperson said: "It remains the MOD’s intention to dispose of Imphal Barracks by 2031 and Queen Elizabeth Barracks by 2021, as set out in the A Better Defence Estate Announcement of 2016.

"The MOD is working with all relevant stakeholders, including military users, and will continue to do so as the disposal date for each site approaches. We will continue to share progress against our plans, with the next update to Parliament expected by the spring."

Find out more about the histories of York's two Army Barracks here.