Chapter 6 - Land Holdings and Buildings
                         
Table 6.1 Land holdings by parent service area and whether owned, leased or with legal rights, at
                    1 April each year in thousand hectares
  1990   1997   2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 1
Total land & foreshore holdings and rights held2 344.0   364.1   371.1 371.0 365.7 365.6 365.6 373.4 372.0  
    Land and foreshore holdings 240.6   239.6   240.0 239.9 240.7 240.7 240.7 240.3 239.0  
        Freehold 225.1   223.9   219.6 219.5 220.4 220.4 220.4 220.0 219.0  
        Leasehold 15.5   15.7   20.4 20.4 20.4 20.3 20.3 20.3 20.0  
    Rights held2 103.4   124.5   131.1 131.1 124.9 124.9 124.9 133.1 133.0  
    of which:                        
        Royal Navy 39.7   39.4   43.8 43.8 43.9 43.9 43.9 43.6 44.0  
            Land and foreshore holdings 13.2   13.3   17.6 17.6 17.7 17.7 17.7 17.4 17.0  
                Freehold 10.8   10.9   15.1 15.1 15.2 15.2 15.2 14.9 15.0  
                Leasehold 2.4   2.4   2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 3.0  
            Rights held2 26.5   26.1   26.2 26.2 26.2 26.2 26.2 26.2 26.0  
                         
Army3 221.0   243.7   251.0 251.0 245.1 245.1 245.1 245.2 245.0  
            Land and foreshore holdings 154.3   155.9   156.7 156.7 157.0 157.0 157.0 157.1 157.0  
                Freehold 150.3   151.9   151.2 151.2 151.4 151.4 151.4 151.4 151.0  
                Leasehold 4.0   4.0   5.5 5.5 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.7 6.0  
            Rights held2 66.7   87.8   94.3 94.3 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.1 88.0  
                         
Royal Air Force 54.3   52.2   46.7 46.7 46.6 46.6 46.6 46.6 46.0  
            Land and foreshore holdings 45.3   42.9   37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.0  
                Freehold 37.4   34.8   28.9 28.9 29.0 29.0 29.0 29.0 28.0  
                Leasehold 7.9   8.1   8.4 8.4 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.0  
            Rights held2 9.0   9.3   9.4 9.4 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.0  
                         
The Centre4 29.0   27.5   25.9 25.9 26.3 26.3 26.3 34.5 34.0  
            Land and foreshore holdings 27.8   26.2   24.7 24.7 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0 25.0  
                Freehold 26.6   25.2   23.7 23.7 24.0 24.0 24.0 24.0 24.0  
                Leasehold 1.2   1.0   1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0  
            Rights held2 1.2   1.3   1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 9.5 10.0  
                         
Other5 *   1.2   3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 4.0  
            Land and foreshore holdings *   1.2   3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 4.0  
                Freehold *   1.1   0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1.0  
                Leasehold *   0.1   3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0  
            Rights held2 *   -   - - - - - - -  
Source: MOD Defence Estates
These holdings include land declared as surplus to defence requirements.
A thousand hectares is 3.86 square miles.
1. Data for 2009 have been rounded to the nearest thousand hectares, whereas data for previous years are rounded to the nearest hundred hectares. This is     because during compilation of the figures some minor inconsistencies were identified at the hundred hectares level which were unable to be resolved in time     for publication. The cause of these inconsistencies will be investigated prior to publication of UKDS 2010.
2. Rights held are Land and foreshore that are not owned by, or leased to MOD, but over which the Department has limited rights under grants and rights.
3. The Army is shown as being a large land owner, however, this does not currently reflect the outcomes of the DETR project where the Training Estate has     been transferred to Defence Estates (part of the Centre area). Transaction paperwork to reflect this in UKDS has yet to be completed.
4. The Centre includes Defence Equipment & Support, and Central Staff.
5. Includes former Service married quarters leased by the Defence Housing Executive from Annington Property Ltd.

Statistics show that the estate size has not moved significantly in recent years. Disposals and acquisitions have occurred, but the overall impact on the overall estate size is not significant. The basis of measurement is currently under review to ensure it reflects changes and improvements in technology.