News

Dozens of army jobs to go in Aldershot

By Stephanie Cockroft
December 08, 2011

MORE than 80 civilian staff based in Aldershot will lose their jobs as part of the Ministry of Defence’s latest round of cutbacks, it has been revealed.

The MoD has announced 82 jobs will go at the army’s regional headquarters to make way for a new centralised headquarters in the town.

However, 104 civilian jobs will be created as part of the new HQ scheme.

But those losing their jobs in Aldershot will not have priority for those positions, the MoD has said. Staff from the Headquarters 4th Division based in Steeles Road will go into the MOD’s ‘redeployment pool’. They will then vie for the new positions against 440 other MOD staff who are also losing their jobs around the country.

Those who do not secure another job could eventually face redundancy.

The cuts are part of a restructure of the British Army throughout the country, to help lose 42,000 MoD civilian and armed forces jobs by 2015, in response to funding cuts.

The changes, announced last month, mean the army's four regional divisional headquarters are to be replaced by a new single command, known as the Army Support Command Headquarters, which will be based in Aldershot.

Regional staff from head-quarters in Edinburgh and Shrewsbury, where 103 and 63 jobs will be lost respectively, will also go into the redeployment pool.

The announcement was made in Parliament on Tuesday by Armed Forces minister Nick Harvey, who confirmed the cuts in a written statement, in response to a written parliamentary question from shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy.

He said the losses would be offset by the creation of posts, adding: “This restructuring will remove 440 civilian posts from our regional force structures at division and brigade levels, and their supporting units.

“These losses, included in the reduction target announced in the strategic defence and security review White Paper, will be offset by the creation of a number of posts in the new support command headquarters in Aldershot.

“Civilian staff declared surplus will be placed in the department’s redeployment pool and given assistance to find an alternative post.”

The shadow secretary said the cuts were a result of a ‘deeply flawed’ defence review.

Headquarters 4th Division has been based in Aldershot since it was formed in April 1995, with command over 2 (South East) Brigade, 24 (Airmobile) Brigade and 145 (Home Counties) Brigade, with administrative responsibility for 5 (Airborne) Brigade.

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So when the AUE is built we will have, what, another 8-9000 adults living in the town, and assuming most will be of working age what jobs will there be for them? None round here apparently unless you want to work at Morrisons or the new cinema (certainly not jobs that you can actually pay a mortgage/raise a family with). New residents will be travelling to the same places as most others in the area, Farnborough, Guildford, Bracknell, Basingstoke, Reading and London, using the same roads that are already buckling under the pressure of overuse. Not the army's fault, of course, but another indication that all we will have is a larger dormitory town than what already exists.

Dan B
15/12/2011 at 11:39

I don't know why you're dragging me into this ?

I'm not responsible for the defence cuts or the ridiculous decision to build so many houses in a town on life support.

I am also not responsible for immigration, although I do support any policy which tries to bind together new citizens with the existing community. I will not accept attacks on those that are here already , verbal or otherwise. If they build 4000 houses and they are all bought by the Nepalese community then that is just the way it has to be. People moan about it , but as people have previous inferred , Aldershot is not a desirable place to live and Farnborough isn't much better , so if they keep bunging houses up all over the place then you will just have to accept those that take the risk of buying in to the community.

And I would like to point out that I have not been 'whingeing' about any pension pots, that is the reserve of the Eton nasty boys. I simply opposed their short sighted and poisonous attack on public servants.

Si G, Farnborough
09/12/2011 at 13:25

I hate to be pedantic (but will be anyway) but 5 Airborne Bde was disbanded years ago. If your correspondent is simply going to rehash an exchange in Parliament and then add some local colour it might be best if thye checked their facts first. 4/10 - must try harder.

mistergrumpy, Mytchett
09/12/2011 at 08:12

Doormon, according to the statistics (yes I know there are lies, dam lies and statistics) seem to show that they are flooding the country with extra people who then get what few jobs there as well as housing them all ahead of those who are already here.

Dawi, Aldershot
08/12/2011 at 22:27

Tinks ask someone like SIG

They seem to have no problem with flooding the country with extra people then having no jobs for them or for the people that are already here. Looks like we are going to build loads of houses for people, then pay for them to live on the dole in then........emmmmmm I see a problem, its not rocket science.

Then SIG and pals will whinge that their pension pot is dwilinding and go on strike.

Too many people and not enough to around, the sooner a mainstream party takes this on board the better.

doormon, Aldershot
08/12/2011 at 12:56

so eighty jobs are going most of the army barracks have shut so they are building 4000 new houses for people to move into the area and 2 new schools . who exactly will want to move into the area another 9000 at least people when there are no jobs anyway