Danny Chambers: ATR Winchester must remain open

On the 4th anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Danny Chambers has again highlighted the “dangerous gap” in the UK's ability to train new recruits if government plans to close down facilities, like the Army Training Regiment Winchester, go ahead as suspected.

The Winchester MP reports that he has secured a meeting with the Minister for the Armed Forces - Alistair Carns - to discuss the matter. He is expected to call on the Minister to review plans for the base closure, and ensure there is no gap in Army training capability at least until new facilities are up and running.

The Winchester base currently trains almost 20 per cent of all new Army recruits and has the lowest dropout rate of any training regiment in the country. The Ministry of Defence plans to close the site in 2026, despite the replacement facility at Pirbright not being expected to open until at least 2030.

Danny Chambers MP said:

"It makes absolutely no sense to close one of the Army’s most successful training bases, especially when Putin is increasingly making military threats to Britain and the whole of Europe. China is rapidly expanding its military, and NATO is being undermined by Trump’s regime. 

“The Government must pause these plans and put national security ahead of bureaucratic timetables."

The MP added that shutting down ATR Winchester in 2026 would create a four-year gap in the Army’s ability to train new recruits, hindering the government’s stated intention to increase troop numbers, and called on the Government to provide urgent reassurance to staff and the local community that ATR Winchester will remain open until a fully operational alternative facility is ready.