Windsor Liberal Democrats

Garrison FM interview with Brigadier Mark Armstrong, Director of Infrastructure

Garrison FM interview with Brigadier Mark Armstrong, Director of Infrastructure

Q: First of all, Director of Infrastructure sounds very impressive. What does it mean?

A: It means I have been given responsibility within the Land Forces HQ for everything to do with the Army [accommodation] - how we live and where we live. So all the barracks, single living accommodation, families' accommodation and the services, ie cleaning contracts, pay-as-you-dine contracts and utility bills. It's a wide portfolio.

Q: What are the key facts when it comes down to housing as we stand now?

A: The Army occupies 54 per cent of the service families' accommodation we've got in the UK. That's about 26,000 houses. They are actually all looked after by my opposite number in Defence Housing, Air Commodore Elaine West. But we have to influence the Army's Estate - what we want from the Army's Estate and put forward the views of the soldiers to make sure we get what we want.

Q: And are we getting what we want because, I think, most people will be saying we're not?

A: I think we've all got tales to tell. I live in families' accommodation myself and have done for the last 20 or so years. We've all got stories to tell - nobody moves into a quarter that's cleaner than the one they moved out of. We can all site problems with Defence - the Modern Housing Solutions, who come across to do the repairs. Yes I've been there too and they've not turned up, and that's hugely frustrating. I do appreciate that. So, there are issues to be addressed and I think we've got to the stage now where we've got to work with Defence Housing and Modern Housing Solutions to get the best that we can. We all know that funding is tight. Defence is short of funding. It's quite a statistic when you hear that we're updating about 600 houses this year across the whole of Defence, not just Army houses. That means each house will be upgraded once every 80 years.

Q: So, a lot of people are going to say, 'there's no point in me even mentioning that I've got a problem anymore'.

A: Quite the opposite. We have to work with the contractors but we have to keep pressure on them. If they don't turn up complain. And I don't just mean complain or say to your neighbour it's not right. Actually go to Modern Housing Solutions, press the number when it gives you that automated piece to make a complaint. Formally make a complaint and then we've got the data to go back to the contractor and say things are not right.

Q: What about those people who turn up at a house and they've got a screaming kid and a dog in the back? What do they do?

A: It is one of those really difficult issues. You turn up to a house and, let's say, it's not clean and it's not acceptable and nobody should expect a soldier and his family to move into accommodation that isn't fit for purpose. And you're right, there's cases where the pantechnic's outside. They've moved, maybe they've come across from Germany and their children are in the car, the dog's in the car. The car's full of stuff and the house isn't up to scratch. In these cases we still have to say no. And, there might be times where you take the keys over, but I would say don't sign for the property. If you've got nowhere else to go, you're a little bit stuck, but don't sign for the property. Say it's not good enough - say that you're forced to move in. If you can make alternative arrangements and go to a hotel, then I would say to do so. There's provision within the regulations for people to spend a night or two in a hotel. You need to check all the terms of what the entitlement is - there will be cases.

Refuse the house, even if you move into it. And, if they tell you you've got to sign, just say you won't

'quote me'.

Q: We've been saying about the problems people face as they are about to move in, but what is being done from the other side?

A: We are spending a lot of money. Everyone will know, who's done up a house themselves, knows it's not cheap to do so. About £40m was spent last year by Defence Ops Housing on the properties.

Upgrades: That's houses that have been completely gutted and brought up to modern standards (and we don't expect people to be in the houses while that takes place). Then there are improvement programmes, as happened over at Upavon, where they've changed the boilers, kitchens and bathrooms (generally takes place with the families still in the properties). And, that's something we need to look at depending on the volume of work that's been done. And then, of course, we've got the maintenance contract through housing prime contractor and the Scottish prime contract, replacing items as they break or fall into a non-maintained condition.

Q: Now, you're saying about improvements, do people have to request these or are they being sorted?

A: There are two parts to this. One is the Modern Housing Solutions. They advise on those aspects that are costing us a lot of money. So, if they are constantly calling people out because there's a problem with the boilers, then they might recommend that it makes financial sense for the boilers to be replaced. On other things, it's very much that we would like to have the views through the chain of command, through the station commanders, through the garrison commanders for people to say what it is people would like doing to their houses. This isn't a wish list and I don't want to build up people's hopes. But yes, we want to influence what Defence Housing does by saying that actually in a particular area there is a real view that something needs to be done, whatever it is. The type of heating, for example, is too expensive and they ought to be moved over to gas, or other things which should be done. We really want to have feedback as to what people would see as improving their lives hugely.

Q: How do you decide which location you're going to deal with first? What is the priority?

A: Nobody will be surprised to hear there's a huge amount to be done out on the estate. Working with Defence Housing we make an assessment as to which properties are in the worst condition. Also, which properties we want for the future - where are we going to base the Army in the future, as we look towards the main super garrisons Bulford, Tidworth, Aldershot, Colchester, Catterick, Edinburgh, arguably Northern Ireland is a super garrison in its own right. Then those are the areas that perhaps we really need to invest in, and that's not to say that if you're not in one of those that your house will be allowed to go to rack and ruin.

Q: And, finally, if people want to get in touch with someone or take things to a higher level, who can they contact?

A: Well really, they should do it through the chain of command, the unit welfare officer, the station commanders, the garrison commanders - feed in through that chain of command of what the particular issues are, and complaints, and complaints do work their way up to Commander Regional Forces, who I work for, and we then follow through to make sure that a satisfactory response is given.

Excellent!