Plans for thousands of soldiers to return to bases in Shropshire and Staffordshire from Germany have been delayed by two years.

Troops from 1 Signal Brigade had been due to move to barracks in Stafford in 2013 but this has now been delayed until 2015 and 102 Logistic Brigade, which was set to relocate to Cosford in Shropshire in 2016, will remain in Germany until 2018.

In a written statement to Parliament, Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell said the delay was necessary to meet other defence priorities.

The move is part of the Ministry of Defence’s Borona Programme to close some of the Cold War-era British Army garrisons in Germany.

Mr Rammell said movement of troops within Germany will allow large parts of the Rhine Garrison to close in 2014, with the final troops exiting the base when 1 Signal Brigade leaves Elmpt.

Around 1,000 members of 1 Signals and 1,600 troops from 102 Logistics are based in Germany.

Announcing the delay in the units’ return, Mr Rammell said: “The final two elements of the programme see 1 Signal Brigade move to Stafford and 102 Logistic Brigade move from Gutersloh to Cosford.

“Whilst these locations remain the planned sites for these formations it has been necessary to delay their moves by two years beyond previously announced timelines in order to accommodate other defence resource priorities.

“The revised plan will now see 1 Signal Brigade move in 2015 and 102 Logistic Brigade move in 2018.”

Mr Rammell insisted the plans to return troops to the UK “do not signal a change in our commitment to the Nato alliance or in our overall defence policy”.

Some 15,000 personnel will remain in Germany “for the foreseeable future”.