Ministry of Defence: Gosport MP calls for end of "managed decline" of heritage assets on MoD estates

Dame Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, raised the issue to cultural ministers at the House of Commons with properties in her constituency affected by the MoD policy. Gosport has a number of assets which are in risk of disrepair, including Forts Grange and Rowner inside HMS Sultan, as the MoD has no statutory duty to protect and care for them.

Speaking at the Culture, Media, and Sport Oral Questions, Dame Caroline asked Julia Lopez, the Minister for Media, Tourism and Creative Industries: “When it comes to valuable heritage assets, I am really concerned about those housed in the grounds of our many military estates which are not bound by any of the obligations to maintain and care for them. In many cases, the Ministry of Defence and others are pursuing a policy of managed decline, which is allowing those valuable heritage assets to rot under our very noses.

 “May I encourage the Minister—in fact, the Secretary of State—to speak with Ministers in the Ministry of Defence to challenge that policy and see what can be done to address it? I give her advance warning that I am keen to look at that as part of a Select Committee inquiry.”

Ms Lopez confirmed that the matter will be looked into. Dame Caroline, who is the Chair of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, raised the concern as heritage assets on the Defence Estate in Gosport remain unprotected and vulnerable to the MoD’s de facto policy of managed decline. Dame Caroline flagged the MoD policy as being set out in 2012 in Written Evidence to the Defence Select Committee, and in their 2016 ‘A Better Defence Estate’ strategy paper.