A MAJOR scheme to turn Catterick Garrison into a 'super garrison' has received a government cash boost to help officials plan the infrastructure required for the expansion.

Over the next 15-years the garrison will see a 50 per cent increase in personnel and officials need to ensure that the local infrastructure is up to the task of catering for the thousands of extra residents.

Three separate pots of central government funding totalling £70,000 have been awarded to Richmondshire District Council to help the planning and housing elements of the scheme and boost communications.

The Garrison currently has a population of 5,700 soldiers which will rise to around 8,400 by 2030.

Added to that is a transient population of around 3,000 soldiers – and all the family members – which highlights the MOD’s long term commitment to the Garrison.

The MOD is currently working to assess how this will impact on the town and is liaising with Richmondshire District Council and North Yorkshire County Council to factor the impact on local services into the Garrison Masterplan.

The Government’s Planning Delivery Fund has allocated a total of £50,000 to support innovative housing design which will see consultants work with the councils and the MOD on the masterplanning exercise for this work.

The MOD has also agreed to fund an additional three-year post in the Richmondshire District Council planning team to cope with demand during the exercise.

And £20,000 has been allocated to support communications work to keep the public up to date with the development work.

Lt Col Joe Jordan, Catterick Garrison Commander, explained: "Catterick is a major Army Garrison and we have plans to base more units here over the next decade.

“We are working very closely with the local authorities, the Local Enterprise Partnership and other key community stakeholders to ensure that all of our plans are coherent and integrated.

"We are committed to the development of Catterick Garrison and we are delighted to hear that Richmondshire District Council has received this cash injection from Central Government to assist with the planning and housing elements.”

Deputy Leader of Richmondshire District Council, Councillor Ian Threlfall, said the military presence is an important part of the district.

He said: “There are already almost 6,000 permanent military residents in Richmondshire and that is set to rise considerably over the coming years.

“They are an important part of the district and it is vital that we plan for them now and in the future.

"These grants allow us to do that work.”

And North Yorkshire County Council leader Councillor Carl Les, who is also the County Council’s Armed Forces Champion, added: “We’re proud in North Yorkshire of our military connections and the personnel and families of Catterick Garrison are an integral part of county life, contributing greatly to the area’s communities and economy.

“We’re working closely with the garrison, the district council and other partners to ensure the best possible future as the garrison expands. I welcome the cash contribution from MoD to help with resourcing such a significant project.”