A CAMPAIGN to improve the standards of accommodation for members of the armed forces has been successful.

Under the Renter’s Rights Bill, there will now be a legal requirement for military homes to receive annual assessments.

Taunton and Wellington MP Gideon Amos said he had pushed for the proposal while serving as the Liberal Democrat’s spokesperson for housing and communities.

The proposal had seen cross-party support, and despite initially voting down the idea, government ministers adopted a new ‘Decent Homes Standard’ which will be applied for service family accommodation.

The Renters' Rights Bill recently completed its passage through Parliament, and will soon become law.

The new law will require the Ministry of Defence to assess service family housing annually and report on whether it meets the standard, creating a statutory mechanism for identifying and addressing shortcomings.

A forces housing standard is policy that has been pushed by the Liberal Democrats since 2023, but was not implemented by the government until now.

Mr Amos said: “This is a huge win for our forces families. Our military personnel sacrifice so much for our country, and all we have asked is that they get a decent home for them and their family.

“But many have suffered for years, living in dire conditions with pest infestations, black mould, damp, flooding, and unreliable heating and hot water supply in winter.”

The news has been welcomed by local resident and former Royal Marine, Ben Forbes.

He said: “I know from my time in 40 Commando how important a decent home is to our families especially given we are away on exercise or active service for such long periods.

“It’s great to see that Gideon and the LibDem team in Parliament have got the backs of forces families – decent homes are the least they deserve.”