Drees & Sommer UK Appointed by Ministry of Defence to Support Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio

Drees & Sommer UK is proud to announce its recent appointment by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as one of the Strategic Environmental & Technical Advisors (SETA) for the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Portfolio.


The DEO Portfolio represents the single largest estates change programme within Defence, with an investment of £5.1 billion aimed at modernising and enhancing the infrastructure supporting the UK’s military personnel and their families. The Portfolio includes a wide range of projects, from new housing to specialist military facilities.


As one of three SETA, Drees & Sommer UK will provide technical support to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) over the next seven years. This support will centre around the mobilisation, planning and preparation of MOD site disposals as part of the MOD’s ‘Better Defence Estate Strategy’. These disposals are crucial, concentrating investment around a smaller, more efficient estate, and generating cash receipts from the sale of surplus land. This will not only support the development of operational sites but will also allow surplus estate to be transformed for alternative uses, such as helping meet government targets for new housing.


Catherine Davies, Head of Estates for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, commented: “Working with industry experts helps us to ensure we are finding the right future use for sites which are surplus to military requirements, considering local needs and generating value for the taxpayer. These appointments offer a great opportunity to embrace Social Value, to create diverse teams working on MOD sites and to positively impact local communities.”


Angus Martin, Divisional Director at Drees & Sommer UK said “We are delighted to be appointed as a Strategic Environmental & Technical Advisor, helping the MOD make best use of its surplus sites. This role allows us to leverage our expertise in sustainable and innovative solutions to support their ambitious goals. We look forward to collaborating with our partners to create modern, efficient, and resilient facilities that will significantly benefit military personnel and their families and enable the re-use of surplus sites to deliver new housing and meet the needs of local communities.”


Drees & Sommer UK will collaborate with their key supply chain partner WSP, to deliver on the goals of the DEO Portfolio. Once complete, the DEO Portfolio will provide new and refurbished accommodation for over 40,000 military personnel and their families, as well as new and refurbished training and office space for over 64,000 MOD personnel.


The DEO Portfolio is also set to release enough surplus MOD land to enable the construction of over 32,000 new homes across the country, alongside various community-enhancing projects such as schools, offices, shops, parks, and open green spaces.