The army base at Littleton on the edge of Winchester is due to be vacated next year.
Speculation on social media has suggested the 1980s base could be used to accommodate immigrants coming to the UK.
But an MoD spokesperson denied the idea. He said: “There are no plans for Sir John Moore Barracks to house asylum seekers. The site is proposed to be allocated within Winchester City Council’s Draft Local Plan (Policy W2) to deliver significant residential-led development of between 750-1,000 new homes.”
Winchester City Council approved the masterplan for the site at a cabinet meeting in February.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) masterplan proposes turning the barracks into a mixed-use development with up to 1,000 homes and a park and ride.
Any development will be controversial. Hampshire Wildlife Trust is concerned about the threat to the chalk grassland. The site has been in military control since World War Two and has never been intensively farmed.
The fourth and final stage of the four-stage programme of public engagement will see the final masterplan and outline planning application proposals shared with the public.
This has been delayed to better align with the Examination in Public (EiP) of the city council’s emerging Local Plan.
For further information on the development and to get involved, visit: sirjohnmoorewinchester.co.uk.