Notorious army base to become eco-town

The infamous army barracks, Deepcut in Surrey, could be sold and redeveloped as an eco-town.

The headquarters of the Royal Logistical Corps was investigated over the 'suspicious' deaths of four young soldiers between 1997 and 2002.

Originally treated as suicides, the deaths were later probed and, following pressure from the victims' families, an inquiry raised concerns over the treatment of trainee soldiers.

According to a report in the Mail on Sunday, Defence Secretary Des Browne will announce this week that the base will be sold to make way for 5,000 zero-carbon homes.

When setting out his guidelines for eco-towns Prime Minister Gordon Brown promised that any surplus land on the defence estate would be redeveloped into low-carbon communities.

It is understood that Deepcut will be wound down over the next seven years, and the base, which is seen as prime real estate for commuters to London, will come under the responsibility of the new Homes and Communities Agency.