Construction begins at Marne Barracks as Royal Engineers prepare to relocate from Ripon to Catterick

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Morgan Sindall has broken ground at Marne Barracks for new and refurbished infrastructure for 21 Engineer Regiment under the Defence Estate Optimisation programme, with the full project due to complete ahead of the unit’s arrival in 2027.

A ground-breaking ceremony at Marne Barracks in Catterick has marked the start of construction on a significant package of new and improved facilities for the Royal Engineers, as the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) moves forward with one of the first major projects to enter construction under the Defence Estate Optimisation (DEO) Strategic Alliance.

The works, contracted to Morgan Sindall, will prepare Marne Barracks for the relocation of 21 Engineer Regiment from Claro Barracks in Ripon, which is scheduled to take place from 2027. The project encompasses 205 new and refurbished Single Living Accommodation bedspaces for Junior Ranks and Officers, a new workshop for the Light Aid Detachment to support the recovery, repair and maintenance of the unit’s equipment, garaging, sports and storage facilities, and the refurbishment of five existing buildings. The full project is scheduled to complete by the end of 2027.

Warren Webster, DIO’s Head of Major Programmes and Projects for the Army, described it as “a major project and one of the first moving into construction under the Defence Estate Optimisation Strategic Alliance,” adding that the works will deliver “fantastic new accommodation, sports facilities and more for the British Army” in time for 21 Engineer Regiment’s arrival. DEO Army Programme Director Belinda Lunn said the project demonstrates how investment in modern infrastructure is “supporting military capability, delivering benefits for Army personnel and improving the Defence estate.”

Morgan Sindall, an Armed Forces Covenant signatory, is delivering a social value programme alongside the construction works that includes four work starters, 20 apprenticeship and T-Level placements, 40 work placement days and regular engagement with local schoolchildren, creating pathways into construction careers across the Catterick area.

The Ripon estate vacated by 21 Engineer Regiment will not sit idle. Ripon Barracks, the collective name for Claro Barracks, Deverell Barracks and Laver Banks, is earmarked for redevelopment into 1,300 new homes under plans announced by Homes England and the Ministry of Defence in 2025. Initial work will begin at the already-vacant Deverell Barracks site, with the remaining areas following once 21 Engineer Regiment has completed its move to Catterick Garrison.

For construction and infrastructure businesses, the DEO programme represents a sustained pipeline of military estate investment as the Army consolidates and modernises its basing across the UK. Projects of this type draw on a broad range of supply chain capabilities, from groundworks and specialist facilities construction through to fit-out, mechanical and electrical services, and the provision of sports and welfare infrastructure.

A ground breaking ceremony at Marne Barracks, Catterick, with representatives from the Defence Estate Optimisation Army Programme, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, 5th Regiment Royal Artillery and 32 Engineer Regiment, and Morgan Sindall. Photo: Morgan Sindall.