A MASSIVE £1.15bn contract for the redevelopment, management and operation of facilities on the Nato base at Northwood was announced this week.

Defence Minister Tom Watson announced that the 25 year contract for the 43-acre site had been awarded to Eastbury Park Limited, a joint venture between Carillion Defence and HSBC Infrastructure Fund Management Limited, as part of a Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

The contract for the new build is worth £25m and the contract for ongoing support services on site is worth a further £1.125bn.

The project received support from Three Rivers District Council back in February.

However concerns were raised then about the impact building work would have on neighbouring residents.

This week Councillor John Pendlebury, whose Moor Park and Eastbury ward encompasses the Nato site, said the dialogue between local residents and the developers had been good, but not all of the details had been seen.

Councillor Pendlebury said: "A lot of progress was made in the meetings that we had but whether we have got to the end of it, I am not sure.

"I think there are still details to be resolved such as about the trucks and road services. But there was a lot of good will on both sides."

The contract will bring about a mix of new buildings, the refurbishment of some existing facilities and demolition of surplus ones.

More than 2,000 military and civilian personnel work at the Northwood site, also known as Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) and home to Nato's UK operations.