Gurkha and Signals regiments WILL leave Nuneaton barracks
Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2018 12:35 am
'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.