Defence Minister Mark Lancaster has revealed 12 MOD sites are to be sold off for building new houses.

The move will provide land for around 15,000 new homes and generate £500 million for defence spending.

In addition, the ploy will support the government's ambition to build 160,000 homes by 2020.

The MOD plans to reduce the size of its built estate by 30%, which covers 452,000 hectares.

The Ministry has pledged to generate £1 billion through land sales during this parliament and contribute towards 55,000 new homes.

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The 12 sites to be sold are:

• Kneller Hall in Twickenham

• Claro and Deverell barracks in Ripon

• RAF sites Molesworth and Alconbury in Cambridgeshire, and Mildenhall in Suffolk

• Lodge Hill in Kent

• Craigiehall in Edinburgh

• HMS Nelson Wardroom in Portsmouth

• Hullavington Airfield in Wiltshire

• RAF Barnham in Suffolk

• MOD Feltham in London

Defence Minister Mark Lancaster said: "By streamlining the Defence estate, we will ensure that it better meets the needs of the Armed Forces well into the future.

"We are also making an important contribution of 55,000 homes to the wider government housing targets. Every acre that we can free up will ensure that more people have the opportunity to own their own home."

The MOD said it will announce further sites to be released in due course.

(LM/MH)