RAF Henlow is to close by 2020, with up to 780 homes to be built in its place.

The base, dating back to 1918, is one of 13 Ministry of Defence sites being sold off as part of a £1 billion savings programme. The golf course at Henlow will also be turned into housing.

Announcing the plan this morning, defence secretary Michael Fallon said: “We are getting rid of land that we don’t need to build homes that we do.”

The wider scheme is set to provide space for 17,000 homes – a significant chunk of the 160,000 the government wants to build by 2020.

Mark Lancaster, under-secretary of state for defence veterans, reserves and personnel, acknowledged in a written statement to parliament that the move would ‘have an impact upon civilian and military staff’.

He said full details of the site closure would be announced later in the year, adding: “The department is making arrangements to provide for units and functions based at sites which will not have a future defence requirement.”

A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman told the Comet there are currently 350 military and 322 civilian personnel based at RAF Henlow.

She said it was not yet clear when they would move out or what proportion would be kept on at other sites.