Plans have been lodged to completely overhaul a former army training camp by building 46 new houses, retirement apartments and a care home.

The development looks to turn the 3.76 hectare Browndown Training Camp into a mixture of 11 two-bed homes, 35 three-bed houses, a 67-bed care home and 34 retirement apartments.

Some 169 parking spaces will be allocated and plans to build a community café have also been lodged alongside two new commercial units.

The development plans, submitted by Highwood Ventures 17 Limited on March 26, also looks to bring 0.59 hectares of New Public Open Space and will build a new pedestrian and cycle route to connect Privett Road with Browndown Road.

CGI imagery for new homes at Browndown Training Camp, as pictured in the application's design and access statement.CGI imagery for new homes at Browndown Training Camp, as pictured in the application's design and access statement. (Image: Highwood Ventures 17 Limited / Gosport Borough Council) Formerly a training camp for the Ministry of Defence, Browndown Training Camp was sold in 2012 and is currently used as a private practice facility.

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According to the application's design and access statement, the site is currently home to a mix of "historical and utilitarian military structures" totalling a floorspace of 5,483 square metres.

These buildings would be demolished as part of the scheme.

Browndown prepared soldiers for combat with its firing ranges and open training areas during the 19th and 20th centuries.

The site was also used for "amphibious landing practice" due to its coastal position, according to plans documents.

Existing buildings at Browndown Training Camp, as pictured in the application's design and access statement.Existing buildings at Browndown Training Camp, as pictured in the application's design and access statement. (Image: Highwood Ventures 17 Limited / Gosport Borough Council) But Browndown has now "transitioned from an active training base to a site used for various defence-related activities, including cadet training and special forces exercises".

The new buildings in the development would all be two-storey except for the care home and retirement apartments.

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Highwood Ventures 17 Limited said in planning documents that it will partner with Housing 21 for the retirement apartments, and that it would prioritise spaces for those with a military background.

The application's design and access statement said: "Gosport has the highest number of veterans of any local authority (12.5%) in England and the highest proportion of households with at least one veteran (21.2%).

"At Browndown, it is our intention to develop a block of Retirement Living apartments. Given the previous use of the camp by the British Army, and Gosport’s significant ties to the Royal Navy, and the link between Housing 21 and the Royal British Legion, we have agreed with Housing 21 to offer a cascade in favour of those with a military background."