First new homes delivered for British armed forces in Cyprus

The first of 138 new homes for armed forces personnel and their families have been completed and handed over at Dhekelia Station in Cyprus.

The first phase of the project is now complete, with the delivery of 46 new Service Family Accommodation (SFA) properties in the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.

A joint initiative

The homes have been delivered through the APOLLO programme, a joint initiative between the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC).

The programme aims to enhance the resilience of critical UK defence assets in Cyprus while ensuring infrastructure meets modern building standards and supports contemporary ways of working.

The first 46 homes have officially been handed over to Dhekelia Station Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Tim Wildish, with families expected to move into the properties shortly.

A £48 million contract was awarded to the Lagan Iacovou Joint Venture in 2023 and will see a total of 138 three- and four-bedroom homes built for Service personnel and their families in the area.

Built in sustainability and resilience

Designed specifically for the Cypriot environment, the homes incorporate measures to improve resilience against seismic activity. Cyprus sits within an area of known earthquake risk and safeguards against earthquakes have been built into the homes’ design and construction

The properties have also been designed with Service families in mind, with comfort-cooling measures in place to help families cope with Cyprus’ high summer temperatures. Sustainability features including, solar panels, air source heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points are also included, helping reduce energy consumption and lower household costs.

Defence infrastructure

Simon Oxley, DIO Project Manager, said: “Seeing the first families move into these homes will be a significant milestone for everyone involved in this project. These modern, energy-efficient properties will provide high-quality accommodation for Service personnel and their families for many years to come.

“The completion of this first phase demonstrates the strong partnership between DIO, CSOC and our industry partners. It is an important step in the APOLLO programme, which is delivering long-term investment across the Defence estate in Cyprus, improving both the lived experience of Service families and the resilience of critical Defence infrastructure.”

CSOC Deputy Head Infra Delivery, Tracey Fuoco, said: “I am very pleased the project has now reached the milestone of handing over the tranche of new homes. I’m conscious this has been possible due to the hard work of the whole project team and I thank all those involved for their continued commitment to delivering the new homes for Service families in Dhekelia.”

Luke Carolan, Project Director for Lagan Iacovou JV, said: “It is a privilege to be delivering such high-quality homes for the British Forces personnel and their families, who will soon call the development their home.

“This achievement reflects the outstanding teamwork and dedication of everyone involved in the project including all our site teams, subcontractors and supply chain partners. I’d like to thank the DIO and CSOC client teams, as well as the Station staff, for their collaborative and professional approach throughout the project so far.”

The APOLLO programme is a 10-year investment programme that will modernise significant parts of the British Forces Cyprus and Sovereign Base Areas estate, including operational infrastructure and Service Family Accommodation across Episkopi, Akrotiri, Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos.