NEWS of major investment into Catterick Garrison which will see it turned into the “super garrison” which has been promised for decades will surely be met with mixed feelings.

It is fantastic that the Government sees the garrison as fit to be one of the main military hubs in the UK, with around 2,000 extra troops being introduced and two new brigades.

The influx of military personnel will bring with it the necessary facilities to go with it and there is likely to be more building work to come in the area for the foreseeable future.

But with house building already taking off in the Catterick Garrison and Colburn areas, there will be some apprehension as to whether the current infrastructure can handle it – already there have been complaints of the sewage works being overloaded, with some residents suffering from raw sewage floating in their gardens.

There will also be concerns about school places, the lack of a hospital or medical centre and the state of the roads.

Work is being done to improve road layouts between Catterick Garrison and Colburn, and primary schools in both towns have recently applied to the county council for planning permission to extend their buildings.

But many will be interested to know if a new medical centre will be included in the upgrades, especially in light of concerns around maternity provision in the region and the fear that hospitals in Northallerton and Darlington will not be able to cope with demand, sending everyone to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.

There will be justifiable pride in Catterick being chosen as a base of the future. Hopefully we will see the garrison grow for the benefit of all residents as the military presence increases.