🐾 Pets for Heroes: Labour’s Plan to Transform Military Housing in Colchester

Pam Cox MP welcomes new freedoms for Armed Forces families in Colchester, as Labour delivers on its promise to rebuild the Armed Forces Covenant.

Military families in Colchester are set to benefit from sweeping new reforms that will make service housing feel more like home. Under Labour’s new Consumer Charter, families living in military accommodation will enjoy greater freedoms to keep pets, decorate their homes, and even run small businesses — part of a wider plan to restore dignity and pride to those who serve.

With 952 families living in military housing across Colchester, these changes mark a significant step forward in Labour’s commitment to improve the lives of service personnel and their loved ones.

What’s Changing?

Starting this month, families will be able to:

• Keep up to two pets — including dogs, cats, or smaller animals — without needing prior approval.

• Decorate and personalise their homes, including children’s bedrooms and living spaces.

• Run businesses from home, with streamlined processes and dedicated support from housing officers.

These reforms are part of a broader investment of £7 billion in military accommodation this Parliament, including £1.5 billion through the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) to support urgent repairs and long-term renewal.

Pam Cox MP: “Homes Fit for Heroes”

Pam Cox, Labour MP for Colchester, said:

“For too long, military families have been let down by poor housing and needless bureaucracy. These new measures are a long-overdue step towards treating our forces families with the dignity and respect they deserve.

Whether it’s the freedom to keep a beloved pet, decorate a child’s bedroom, or run a small business from home - these changes will help turn military houses into proper family homes.

I’m proud that Colchester is at the heart of Labour’s plan to rebuild the Armed Forces covenant and deliver the change our service families have waited years for.”

🛠 A New Standard for Military Housing

The Consumer Charter sets out a clear roadmap for reform, including:

• A strengthened move-in standard to ensure homes are clean and ready.

• Photographs and floor plans provided before families move.

• Faster repairs, with urgent issues resolved within set timelines.

• A named housing officer for every family.

• A simplified complaints process for quicker resolutions.

• More freedom to decorate and improve homes.

These changes follow Labour’s landmark deal to bring 36,000 military homes back into public ownership, including 944 homes in Colchester - a major win for local families.

Defence Secretary John Healey: “Stop the Rot”

Defence Secretary John Healey MP added:

“Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe every day. But for too long, military families have lived in substandard housing without basic consumer rights. These new measures are another step as we deliver on our Consumer Charter to stop the rot in military accommodation and ensure our heroes and their loved ones live in houses they can truly call home.”