The first 46 new homes for British armed forces personnel and their families have been completed at Dhekelia Station in Cyprus.
The properties form the opening phase of a programme that will provide 138 three and four-bedroom homes within the Eastern Sovereign Base Area.
The completed homes have been formally handed over to Dhekelia Station Commander Lieutenant Colonel Tim Wildish, with Service families expected to begin moving in shortly.
First phase of 138-home development
The Ministry of Defence awarded a £48 million contract to the Lagan Iacovou Joint Venture in 2023 for the construction of all 138 properties.
The first tranche represents exactly one-third of the planned homes. The Government has not provided a detailed completion date for the remaining two phases in its latest announcement.
The development is being delivered through the APOLLO programme, a joint initiative involving the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Cyber and Specialist Operations Command.
APOLLO is intended to modernise British defence facilities in Cyprus while improving living and working conditions for military personnel and their families.
Designed for conditions in Cyprus
The new Service Family Accommodation has been designed specifically for the Cypriot environment rather than following a standard housing design intended for the United Kingdom.
Cyprus is situated in an area of known earthquake risk, so measures intended to improve resilience against seismic activity have been incorporated into the construction.
The properties also include comfort-cooling systems to help residents manage the island’s high summer temperatures.
Energy and sustainability features include solar panels, air-source heat pumps and electric-vehicle charging points. The Government says these measures will reduce energy consumption and help lower household running costs.
Investment in military family accommodation
The condition of Service accommodation has remained an important issue for members of the armed forces and their families. Reliable housing is particularly significant for personnel posted overseas, where families may have fewer alternative accommodation options and less access to their wider support networks.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation said the modern, energy-efficient homes would provide high-quality accommodation for many years. It described completion of the first phase as an important milestone in the wider investment programme.
Officials also credited cooperation between the DIO, Cyber and Specialist Operations Command, the contractor, station personnel and the project’s wider supply chain.
Why Britain maintains bases in Cyprus
The United Kingdom retained sovereignty over the military base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia when Cyprus became independent in 1960.
The Sovereign Base Areas support British military operations, regional security and communications. Their location in the eastern Mediterranean places them close to Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
Dhekelia forms the Eastern Sovereign Base Area, while Akrotiri lies in the Western Sovereign Base Area. British Forces Cyprus personnel also operate from locations including Episkopi and Ayios Nikolaos.
Ten-year modernisation programme
APOLLO is a ten-year investment programme covering significant parts of the British Forces Cyprus and Sovereign Base Areas estate.
Its scope extends beyond family housing and includes operational infrastructure required to support Britain’s defence presence on the island.
Work is planned across Episkopi, Akrotiri, Dhekelia and Ayios Nikolaos. The programme aims to ensure that facilities meet modern construction standards, support contemporary military operations and improve the resilience of critical defence assets.
The completion of the first 46 properties provides visible progress, but the benefits of the housing project will ultimately depend upon the remaining 92 homes being completed and occupied successfully.
For the first families preparing to move in, the immediate result will be modern accommodation designed around the practical realities of military life in Cyprus.
You can read the official Defence Infrastructure Organisation press release here.