Salisbury Plain Training Area (SPTA) is the UK’s largest military training area, covering 11% of Wiltshire and a small part of Hampshire. Ensuring the fine balance between providing a place for our Armed Forces to train safely and maintaining public …
MOD-owned land is home to some of the most beautiful and unique rural areas in the UK. Due to our ongoing conservation and partnerships with a variety of charities and specialist organisations, our land continues to offer exciting opportunities to …
DIO Training Safety staff are now operating drones on Salisbury Plain to monitor and record illegal behaviour and protect the public.
We have at least 3 million ash trees across the MOD estate, so managing the tree disease ash dieback is a significant objective of our sustainable woodland management and long-term forest planning. Read on to find out more.
![A runner is surprised by a Foxhound armoured vehicle when running on the training estate. [Crown Copyright, MOD]](https://insideDIO.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2018/04/DiO-Foxhound_Run_Bike_rushes-screenshot-1024x575.jpg)
Safety on the MOD training estate is vitally important, and we work hard to balance the needs of the military who use it for training activities and the needs of the public who use it for recreation.
A few weeks ago, I helped the Disabled Ramblers learn about the history of Salisbury Plain and how our Armed Forces use it to live, work and train.
The 2019 MOD Access Forum saw attendees from various organisations learn about the public access issues affecting the MOD estate and even have a go at searching for unexploded ordnance!
In 2015, an overhanging rock face began to collapse, damaging the public stairway that leads down from the South West Coast Path Trail to the Fossil Forest, located within Lulworth Ranges. DIO has worked with Lulworth Estate, Natural England, Dorset Council and Vertical Technologies to repair the stairway and re-open the site.
Hi, I’m Lt Col Stewart Andrews and I’m DIO’s Senior Training Safety Officer for Salisbury Plain. Last year, 2948 illegal incursions were reported in the South West; most were caused by people illegally driving 4x4s and motorcycles on the Plain. …
![A Byway Open To All Traffic sign on Salisbury Plain. [Crown Copyright, MOD]](https://insideDIO.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2018/04/Byway-Open-To-All-Traffic-sign-Kirsty-Williams-1024x684.jpg)
Last week we looked at some ways to risk your life on the Defence training estate. When we catch people ignoring the rules, they use a variety of excuses for their actions. Here's a countdown of some of the more ridiculous we’ve come …