Gurkha and Signals regiments WILL leave Nuneaton barracks

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'There is a special relationship with the regiment locally and any such move would be seen as very upsetting,' Town Hall leader

Cherished regiments are being moved from Nuneaton’s army barracks, severing a special link with the borough.

After almost a year trying to find out the truth it has finally been confirmed by the Ministry of Defence that the 30 Signal Regiment and the Queens Gurkha Signals regiment will be moved to Stafford.

It is news that will bring upset to many as the regiments, who hold a special place in the heart of the borough, are set to leave Gamecock Barracks in 2020.

Back in 2002 the 30 Signals regiment, including the Gurkhas, was given what is Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council' s highest accolade – the Freedom of the Borough.

Six years later, in 2008, the regiment marched through the town, greeted by hundreds of proud townsfolk, and the regiment exercised its right to parade through town again in July 2015.

The Telegraph's sister paper, the Nuneaton News, made repeated requests for details via the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) since March last year to find out the fate of the regiments and it is in the latest response that confirmation about the move, which forms part of the Ministry of Defence’s estate optimisation programme, has been given.

What is not known is if the move will have an impact on the huge Gurkha community in the borough, which is one of the biggest in the country.

It is understood that between 250 and 300 Gurkhas have settled in Nuneaton and Bedworth , largely due to the connection with the nearby barracks, and they have become a huge part of everyday community life.

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MoD U-turn on future of cherished Gurkha regiment at Nuneaton barracks



The MoD has made an incredible U-turn about Nuneaton's treasured Gurkha and 30 Signal regiments.

CoventryLive can reveal that the regiments will now be staying at Gamecock Barracks for good.

They were due to leave next year but it has been confirmed to us that they will now remain.

It means the borough's proud link with the regiments will not be severed.

The news also brings an end to a long-running saga that has been ongoing since 2017 when news about the loss of the two regiments from the local barracks first emerged.

CoventryLive's sister paper the Nuneaton News fought for the truth - and it emerged that the two regiments were due to leave in 2023, under the Ministry of Defence's Defence Estate Optimisation programme and the 'Better Defence Estate' strategy.

The 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group from Nottingham and a newly created medical hub from HQ Medical Briadem 22 and 34 Field Hospitals, 306 Hospital Support Regiment, 335 Medical Evacuation Regiment and a medical training facility were then set to be transferred to the Bramcote-based barracks.

But an Army spokesman has told CoventryLive that the plans have changed.

"As part of the Integrated Review (Future Soldier) it has been decided 30 Signal Regiment, including personnel from the Queen’s Gurkha Signals, will remain at Gamecock Barracks," the spokesman said.

"The units that were previously due to move here will be based elsewhere across the country.”

They were due to make their swansong parade later this year as part of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations.

But now the MOD news means that the regiments will remain a permanent feature - something that will be celebrated borough-wide.

Many Gurkhas from the barracks have chosen to make Nuneaton their home and, as a result, the town boasts a proud and thriving Gurkha community.

This led to the opening of one of the country's first Gurkha pubs, the Gurkha Corner on Coton Road, as well as the unique memorial at the entrance to Riversley Park.