Carbon neutral military stable to be powered by horse manure

Construction firm Morgan Sindall has been awarded a £16 million contract from Defence Estates to relocate one of the army’s most prestigious units from St John’s Wood, in north London, to Woolwich.

Working with architectural practice Scott Brownrigg the construction company will create an ‘eco-friendly’ home for the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery at Napier Lines in Woolwich – the historic home of the Royal Artillery.

The development will provide stabling and supporting facilities for 170 horses, as well as the troop’s historic gun carriages.

The new facility will run on fuel pellets created from horse manure and bedding which will, the designers say will, produce enough bio-fuel to supply the needs of the development.

“We are thrilled to have been selected to undertake this scheme which is not only going to give the King’s Troop state-of-the-art accommodation but also provide them with a sustainable base,” says Morgan Sindall managing director Graham Shennan.

If planning permission is granted work on the site could begin in September and will be complete in November 2011.

Luke Walsh